Destiny Rules
by Jaguarin
Summary: The birds face an unexpected enemy that changes her lives. Complete
1. A friend in need

The Clock Tower was silent except for the sound of Barbara finishing the installation of a new software program on Delphi. It had been a long and arduous day. She wanted to improve the system because she loved the work that allowed her to be Oracle. Being a crime fighter was maybe the greatest satisfaction in her life, it gave her the opportunity to give the best of her to help others.  
  
Her mind was also focused on her next case: Find the serial killer in New Gotham. It was giving her a lot of problems, too many young ladies were dying and she still didn't have any leads. But first she needed to finish up with Delphi and clean up the lab since it looked like a disaster zone with computers open and discs everywhere. She heard the elevator door opened and raised her head.  
  
"Hi Sweetheart"  
  
Barbara smiled. "Daddy!"  
  
Ex-police Comissioner Gordon smiled too and walked in, hands in his pockets. "Hey, how are you?" he gave her a kiss on her cheek.  
  
"Fine. I had a nice day" She raised an eyebrow in curiousity. "Ehhh...what are you doing here? It's early. You know you are retired but you still love helping the police don't you?"  
  
"Don't you like seeing me?" he pouted pretending to be annoyed.  
  
"Yes, of course, but im sure something else brought you here." She smirked "You never come to visit me without calling first..." she removed her eyeglasses "or so early... am I wrong?"  
  
"Okay, okay, Im guilty." Gordon raised his hand.  
  
"I knew it." She smiled "What's happening? Something bad?"  
  
"We got her."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I guessed you don't know. I tried calling you but you didn't answer."  
  
"Oh, I turned off the system while I was installing the new software."  
  
"Finally after all these years we caught her."  
  
"Who?" Babara asked curious.  
  
"Our thief..." Gordon explained "We trapped her this morning."  
  
Barbara blinked "Oh, my... I never expected this. How was...?"  
  
"You gave us good leads that helped in setting up the sting."  
  
"Is she hurt?"  
  
"No, no, no, don't worry." He moved his hands in a calming motion. "I came here first to tell you the news. After all she is the daughter of a good friend."  
  
Barbara couldn't hide her sadness. "Yes, true. It's a shame that she choose this way. Where is she now?"  
  
"We took her to Arkham and a high security cell. You know her, she is very smart. We will hold there until the trial." Gordon fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "I know you want see her. Let's go."  
  
Barbara looked at him surprised "Are you seriously?"  
  
"Yes. It's one of the perks of being the daughter of an Ex-Police Comissioner. I'll also take you out to lunch."  
  
She smiled and grabbing her bag she wheeled to the elevator with her father at her side.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara sat in the middle of a small room. She played with her fingers nervously. Over the years she had talked with her friend's daughter and a game soon developed between them. She challenged Barbara to catch her and she had failed in all her attempts, until now.  
  
The girl called sometimes to advise her of a new robbery that she planned to commit and other times she simply called to ask how she was. She had tried to convince the young woman to change her life and get a job. But she was too much like her mother. She liked the good life and the money.  
  
The heavy door opened and a security guard walked in with a big rifle between his hands. He stood up front of the door and behind him walked a young woman, thin, black hair, blue eyes, with her hands and ankles chained. She was a beautiful woman irregardless that she clothed in prision attire.  
  
"You have fifteen minutes." The guard said.  
  
The young woman looked her at surprised and smiled. "Barbara Gordon."  
  
"Hi..."  
  
"Finally your dream comes true." The girl walked toward the table with short steps because of the chains and sat down in front of her.  
  
"My dream?" Barbara asked confused.  
  
"You finally caught me."  
  
"It was the police, not me."  
  
"But you gave him the leads." The girl raised an eyebrow. "You have a cigarette?"  
  
"Yes I brought you some." Barbara took a pack of cigarettes of her bag. "I knew you would need it."  
  
The girl smiled and took the box, "Mine?" she asked. Barbara nodded. The girl opened it and put one in her mouth "Got a light?" she asked smirking to Barbara "I don't have permission to have matches here."  
  
Barbara lit the match and offered it towards the girl. She smiled and bent down, pressing the top of the cigarette against the flamed wooden tip of the match.. She took a deep breath and exhaled the smoke with great plesure.  
  
"Oh, this is great." She said. "Twelve hours without a cigarrette! I thought I was going to die."  
  
"That will kill you."  
  
The woman looked Barbara putting her arm on the back of her chair. "Excuse me if I cant offer you something to drink. Alcohol is prohibited here too." She tapped the ash onto the floor. "So, what brings you here? I'm sure this is not a courtesy call. Are you going to laugh of me?"  
  
"You sense of humor is as bad as always."  
  
"And you are as boring and formal as always. You shouldn't be so serious all the time Barbara. Loosen up and have some fun."  
  
The redhead stareed at her without say a word. The girl after a few seconds nervously played with a strand of her hair. "What? Something wrong with my hair?"  
  
"You have so much of your mother in you. Her eyes, her attitude."  
  
The young woman leaned on the table and fixed her eyes on her. "Disappointed?."  
  
"I would have had liked it if you had listened to me. I was so sure you would change your life."  
  
"All people have their own destinies. This is mine Barbara. As you have yours: being a crime fighter. I liked this, everyday was a challenge. But I had a one serious problem."  
  
"Which was?" the redhead asked curious.  
  
"You been hunting me since I have known you." The girl leaned back in the chair "It's a pain in the ass to have something like you constantly looking over my shoulder! Until I called you by phone to ask you how you felt about the challenge."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why? Are you asking me why? Because you traced all my phone calls in your search for me! Thank god that good old Alfie helped me sometimes." She inhaled again.  
  
"Alfred?" Barbara asked surprised.  
  
"Hey, don't be mad with him. I was worried that time that you were sick for more than a week."  
  
"So you could be inside Clock tower...?"  
  
"Yes, he opened the door for me," She expained. "Was the only way I could get in. You live in a damn fortress and I wanted see you."  
  
"I always asked myself how you got in," Barbara frowned. "Now I understand."  
  
The girl laughed. "I may be a great burglar but your security system still baffles me. I'll figure it out eventually."  
  
"Well, I must tell you thanks for taking care of me those three days." Barbara smiled remembering it.  
  
"Back then you thanked me by using your damn system to track me down 15 days later."  
  
"Oh, don't be grumpy, I didn't catch you anyways. That was two years ago."  
  
"Well, that was past. Now back to my original question," the girl scratched her head. "Why are you here?"  
  
"I come to see how are you. To see if you need anything and to ask you if you need a lawyer."  
  
The girl looked at her in surprised. She laughed nervously. "First I need a good hair stylist. Second..." she shook her head "Why do you want help me? Im a thief."  
  
"But you are a charming thief," Barbara smiled "And I love you. I've known you since you were a child. And, I loved your mom, she was my friend. Let me help you with the lawyer. You will need it, you are in serious trouble."  
  
The girl lowered her head. She kept silent for a few seconds. "I miss Mom..."  
  
"I know you do."  
  
"I would have liked that you and I, well, that all between you and me could have been different." She looked her.  
  
"I know how you feel and I know people who had a past like yours." Barbara could read in those blue eyes the pain, the love and the solitude. She took her hand and pressed it. "Let me help you."  
  
"You are a crime fighter, you have your own life, your friends. I have mine. Don't waste your time with me... You have things more important things in your life than me."  
  
"You are important to me."  
  
"Time's up," the guard announced. The girl stood up and walked toward the door.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Thanks Barbara."  
  
The policeman opened the door.  
  
"Let me help you." The redhead asked again.  
  
"I know why my mom loved you so much, you are a great person. But... don't waste your time with a such person as me." The girl walked out stepped into the doorway.  
  
"Selina was a great women as you are Helena. May I call the lawyer?" Barbara insisted.  
  
"Iwould appreciate that Barbara. Thanks so much, but no, no thanks."  
  
Helena walked out and the door closed. Barbara lowered her head and pressed her lips together. She loved the girl, and she knew the girl loved her too. It was a true that she called her often to know how she was or appeared unexpected in any place to talk with her a few minutes. She had tried to convince her many times to stop that life but she didn't listen. She was as stubborn as her mother was.  
  
Unfortunately she had lost contact with her since the murder. She heard that some uncle took her out of the country almost inmediately after her mother died. She learned much later that Selina had given orders to her lawyer that she was supposed to have custody but by then she had lost track of Helena.  
  
Until years later when she resurfaced as a burglar. Seems someone had trained her and done an excellent job. The girl had come back to New Gotham. Her movements were so much like Catwoman that she was suspicious. Her beliefs were confirmed one night when Helena called her by phone. It just about broke her heart. She was a great girl.  
  
She was a crimefighter. It was her duty jail criminals, but Helena was something more than just a common thief. She was family. 


	2. I'm innocent

Barbara wheeled in an office in Arkham where her father was with the detective that had been following Helena for the past year, a tall black man named Jesse Reese. They had a serious face. Barbara felt something was wrong.  
  
"How is she?" Gordon asked.  
  
"As cynic as always..." Barbara explained "I don't know if that is good or bad right now."  
  
Her father gave her some pictures. Barbara took it and examined them with horror. They were of bodies around a building that was burning.  
  
"Do you remember this case?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Yes... it was terrible... Metropolis, four months ago."  
  
"We found the same kind of explosives used in that building and timers in Helena's department, including newspapers and pictures with the news about it." Gordon raised a plastic bag "And the wallets of some of the victims."  
  
"Helena couldn't..."  
  
"We found it a few minutes ago." Jesse explained "Now she is in troubles, twenty people died that day. Including Metropolis Commissioner's son and five children. The prosecutor surely will ask the death sentence for her."  
  
"She is a burglar, not a killer."  
  
"She is in trouble." Jesse pointed. "There is so much evidence against her."  
  
"Dad, you know her." Barbara moved her head trying to understand what was happening. It confused her.  
  
"Barbara, neither of you knows her very well." James Gordon said "She is like a ghost that appears and disappears. You knew her when she was a child but now, she is a dangerous young woman."  
  
"She is Selina's daughter." Barbara tried to justify her. She was a burglar, she knew that but it was hard accept she was a killer.  
  
"You know that doesn't help her much either." Jesse sighed resting his back on the chair. "She needs a good lawyer."  
  
"She is a burglar, not a killer. I'll help her with the lawyer."  
  
"Wait a minute." Gordon stood up "What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm not going to let her be alone. She didn't kill those people." Barbara faced him. "I agree, she deserves to be in jail; she is a thief, a burglar," she put the pictures on the desk "but not a murder."  
  
"Barbara, the press will attack you. I can read the headlines now: Ex- congress woman helping children's killers."  
  
"It doesn't matter to me."  
  
James moved his head. "Are you sure she will accept your help? She is damn stubborn."  
  
"She has to."  
  
"I think is a mistake Miss Gordon." Jesse said.  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
Gordon walked toward the window scratching his head. He knew it was going to be a scandal. Helena's reputation was terrible and nobody would understand why his daughter was helping her. "Are you sure?" he asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I think this is a mistake." He looked at her "A big mistake, but I support you."  
  
"Thanks Dad."  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara arrived late to Clock Tower. She wheeled toward Delphi and made a phone call to her lawyer. She explained the case and after 15 minutes she told him that they will go to breakfast in the morning and maybe later to go visit Helena at Arkham. She hung up the phone and rubbed her eyes. Helena was now in really big trouble.  
  
"Long day?" Alfred asked. He walked in the lab with a tray with coffee in his hands.  
  
"Terrible. This is worst that I ever would imagine."  
  
"You wanted stop her." He gave her the cup of coffee "You had been trying to find a clue night after night, finally you found it and gave it to the police."  
  
"True, she was hard to find. She's very intelligent and agile. The police went to her apartment" she took a sip of coffee, "and found evidence that incriminates her in the explosion of the building in Metropolis a few months ago."  
  
"Miss Helena?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Oh my..." Alfred was stunned..  
  
"The prosecutor will ask the death penalty for her."  
  
"And do you think she..."  
  
"No." she interrupted him "she couldn't, something inside me tells it wasn't her. I accept it, she is a thief, and she must be punished for that. But she is like her mother- she never killed anyone."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"Help her."  
  
* * *  
  
Helena Kyle was caught by the police and her connection with the murders in the building explosion in Metropolis was the headlines of all the newspapers. Barbara read all of them at the morning. All of them pointed to her as a killer that deserved the electric chair. There was a notice that Barbara was going to help her too.  
  
"The journalists are fast." She said to her lawyer while they waited for Helena in a small room inside Arkham.  
  
"This is not going to be easy." He said. "People are angry at her. Five children died that day."  
  
"I know that. "Barbara closed the newspaper. "I know."  
  
Helena walked though the corridor with two guards with rifles in her sides. She took short steps because of the chains on her ankles. "I have another visitor?" she asked them. "Funny, when I was free I never had visitors. Now who is it?" she looked at them. "Oh you are very communicative today."  
  
A guard in front of a door opened it when he saw her coming. She walked in and saw with surprise, Barbara with a man in an elegant suit sitting in front of a table.  
  
"Let me guess," Helena said stood by the door "Is he your boyfriend?"  
  
"Helena sit down." Barbara asked sighing.  
  
"I told you I don't want a lawyer."  
  
"Shut up and sit down." Barbara said in firm voice.  
  
The brunette glared at her but obeyed. "I'm not going to accept him, I'm warning you." She grumbled as she sat down.  
  
Barbara threw the pictures that her father had given to her the day before at Helena.. Helena took them and looked with curiously. "What are these?"  
  
"You killed them." Barbara said crossing her fingers over the table.  
  
"Are you joking?"  
  
"No."  
  
Helena looked at the pictures again and then at Barbara. "No, you are not joking. What is this about?"  
  
"Miss Kyle," The lawyer took a cigarette out of box and offered one to her. Helena took it immediately and leaned forward to light it. The police found evidence in your home that implicates you in this murder."  
  
"My apartment?" Helena felt annoyed. "Why the hell were the police in my apartment?"  
  
"Search warrant.. They found these pictures, newspapers, a calendar with the day marked in red, and the most importantly, the same kind of explosives used and the wallets of some of the victims."  
  
Helena coughed. "What?"  
  
"This is serious Helena." Barbara said angry "Why?"  
  
"Why what?" Helena shouted. "I didn't kill them! I never had explosives in my house! I have never seen these pictures!" She threw it over the table. "This is a bad joke."  
  
"This is not a joke!" Barbara hit the table with her fist. "Why did you do it?"  
  
"I didn't!" Helena shouted.  
  
"The police found the evidence!" Barbara exclaimed.  
  
"It's a trap, a damn trap!" Helena stood up "I'm sure it's damn Detective that's behind this did it! He put all that evidence in my apartment."  
  
"Sit down." Barbara ordered.  
  
"This is a lie! I'm sure he put all those things in my apartment."  
  
"I said sit down!" the young woman obeyed again now in a bad mood.  
  
"I don't think so Miss Kyle." The lawyer said, "Jesse Reese is one of the most honest policemen in the department."  
  
"He is an asshole. He is frustrated because he couldn't catch me." She took a deep breath from her cigarette.  
  
"The state is going to open your trial for murder and burglary."  
  
"I didn't kill anyone." Helena told him and looked the red head "Barbara I accept it, I'm a thief, a cat burglar, but I'm not a killer. You know me."  
  
"And they are going to ask the death penalty for you." The lawyer said.  
  
Helena's face turned pale. "Why?"  
  
"Twenty people were killed that day and the state is accusing you for that."  
  
"But, I didn't kill them. Barbara believe me..." she looked tat her with worry. "It wasn't me."  
  
"I believe you. I'm here for that reason and I brought my lawyer here to help you. His name is Jonathan. We want help you, But I need you to trust me and tell him the truth. Maybe you have and old enemy trying to put you away."  
  
"Or maybe," the lawyer interrupted "It's and enemy of your mother:"  
  
"To help you I need you trust me.."  
  
Helena sighed and rested on the back of her chair. "Okay."  
  
"First thing, don't try to escape." Barbara pointed at her. "Don't fights or talk with the guards or supervisors, got it?"  
  
"Got it..."  
  
* * * 


	3. Discovering the truth

Barbara arrived at the Clock Tower late, it had been a long day. She wheeled toward her desk and put some books down. The place was a disaster. She rarely left the Clock Tower, she was closed off to the world, immersed in her computers and crimefighting activities. Her father and Alfred scolded her often for avoiding any social activities. After the terrible night when Joker had shot her, her life had changed drastically, she had closed her life and heart to all the world.  
  
She wheeled toward the kitchen and opened the fridge. Alfred always left her some food on the days that he was at the Clock Tower, usually Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; today was Friday.  
  
"Barbara?"  
  
The red head turned her head in surprise. A teen was standing up on the other side of the kitchen. She was blonde and her clothes were dirty. The girl looked like an urchin. She took off her batons. Maybe she was a common thief, but how could she break the security system in the Clock Tower?  
  
"Who are you?" Barbara asked angrily, preparing to attack. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Barbara, calm down." The girl stepped back. "I'm a friend. I came here to talk with you, please, let me explain."  
  
Barbara aimed a hit that the teen avoided and, before she could throw a second blow, her sticks were taken from her hands and smashed against the wall. She watched it crash against the wall.  
  
"Was me..." the blond girl said. "Sorry, I want to talk with you. I don't want to hurt you."  
  
"You?"  
  
"I am telekinetic... I'm meta, my name is Dinah, Dinah Lance. Please listen to me." She raised her hands. "I don't have weapons, I came here alone."  
  
"How could you get past all the security?"  
  
"It will sound insane, but you taught me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Barbara, this is a long story, please, could we talk? I can explain everything," the blonde pleaded.  
  
"Okay, talk." Barbara said suspiciously; she didn't really have any other choice.  
  
Dinah relaxed slightly and began to tell her story to the red-head. "I'm a meta-human. I have mind powers. I am a touch-telepath and I can move objects."  
  
"Yes, I saw that."  
  
"My mother is Carolyn Lance."  
  
Barbara opened her eyes in surprise.  
  
"Yes, I have the canary cry," Dinah kept talking, "I am still developing it, but I have it. My cerebral cortex activity is over fifty percent."  
  
"That is incredible."  
  
"Well, to avoid questions , I sometimes act stupid in High School." Dinah put her hands on her pockets. "May I sit?"  
  
Barbara nodded, the girl didn't look too dangerous and, if she wanted to attack, she would have already done so. "Want some coffee?" she asked.  
  
"Let me prepare it for you." Dinah said. Before Barbara could react, the girl walked to the cabinet and opened it. "You like it black, sugar, just one spoonful, and cookies." The girl seemed know where all the things in the kitchen were placed.  
  
Dinah put the coffee in front of Barbara and sat down. "I know these things because I have been here before."  
  
"Who are you?" Barbara asked. "How could you get through all my security?"  
  
"You taught me all the codes."  
  
"I've never seen you before"  
  
Dinah took a piece of paper that was on the table and wrote some numbers "I lived here with you, and with Helena."  
  
"Helena?"  
  
"Helena Kyle. We are crimefighters. You are our mentor."  
  
Barbara moved her head "Excuse me, but this joke is going too far..."  
  
Dinah gave her the paper "I wrote there the access codes to Delphi and to the main access to the Clock Tower."  
  
Barbara read the numbers, she looked the girl, stunned. "Are you a hacker?"  
  
"No, of course not!" Dinah sighed. "Helena is Bruce Wayne's daughter, Batman's daughter.... and you were batgirl."  
  
Barbara froze, her heart racing that this girl knew her secrets. "How...?"  
  
"Barbara, this is the craziest story that you've ever heard, but it's true. You, Helena and I were a team, a great team. Crime fighters. You took care care of Helena after her mother's death; you trained her. Many years later I came here and you gave me the opportunity to learn. One night we were looking for Dr. Destiny."  
  
"I know him, he's a criminal that we can't stop now. He is a terrible criminal. The king of underworld."  
  
"He recovered the Materioptikon-- the ruby dreamstone that can alter reality to his whims. He was pissed because we had been stopping his robberies. We are living a nightmare that he created for us. He traveled to the past and changed it."  
  
Barbara kept listening with interest.  
  
"We were fighting. Helena and I surprised him when he broke the security box to steal England's treasure on exhibition in the New Gotham Museum. But before we could stop him, he used his ruby and he wished go to the past. I jumped on him before he disappeared. We appeared in an alley. We fought, he threw a blast of energy at me, I used a shield with my mind power and the energy went back to him; it hit the rock breaking off a piece of the Materioptikon. He angrily charged against me and he knocked me down."  
  
"I woke up the next morning in that alley, it was raining. I looked around and could see the small piece of the ruby that had been broken on the ground. I took it." Dinah rubbed her eyes. "I came here, to the Clock Tower, but I found that it didn't exist. I was confused, I didn't know what was happening. I walked by the street and I found a newspaper. It shocked me, the headlines said Selina had been murdered and you had been shot. I understood I was in the past; we had traveled in the time. I went to see you to the hospital but you were bad, very bad. I couldn't find Helena. I went to the police department, looking for a friend, Jesse Reese; but they told me they didn't know him."  
  
"Jesse Reese?" Barbara asked, surprised.  
  
"He is Helena's boyfriend."  
  
"Is that a joke?"  
  
"No. He helps us in some cases." Dinah explained.  
  
"Okay okay" Barbara moved her head "What happened next?"  
  
"I read in that newspaper that Selina's lawyer had been murdered in a big fire inside his office; all the papers were lost. Everybody knows that Helena is Selina's daughter, her pictured appeared in all the newspapers. She used to fight without a mask. He recognized her; I'm sure of that, he traveled to the past to change it. His only clue was Helena, and in some way he could change her past."  
  
"She disappeared two days after her mother's death." Barbara remembered, sipping her coffee. It was good, exactly as she liked it. "We lost track of her. He told me many years later that his uncle took her to Europe. He left her in a boarding school and disappeared. She escaped from there two months later. She learned to survive on the streets and turned into a burglar...a very skillful burglar at that... and learned quickly how to get easy money."  
  
Dinah felt a great sadness inside. "I understand now. I looked for Helena again to find that she had gone, a neighbor told me his uncle had taken her out of the country. He knew Selina didn't have family; it killed him to leave her alone. I understand his plan. With Selina's lawyer dead you would never know that Selina had given you custody of Helena."  
  
Barbara blinked and leaned forward "Say that again."  
  
"Selina gave instructions to her lawyer; if something happened to her you would have custody. Dr. Destiny knew that someone had taken care of Helena but he didn't know who it was, so he took her away from here to prevent anyone from helping her."  
  
Barbara moved back, that story was terrible, she couldn't believe it was true.  
  
"Helena had so much anger and pain inside." Dinah began to analyze the situation "It was hard for you help her to manage that anger. Being alone, she let her anger control her life. She was taken too far from everybody."  
  
Barbara interrupted "Nobody would ask for her in another country; I looked for her for several months later but I couldn't find any trace of her. Bruce Wayne didn't know that he had a daughter, neither did Alfred or Dick until many years later."  
  
"Oh, poor Helena." Dinah felt tears in her eyes. Destiny had planned everything to destroy her life, and he was getting away with it.  
  
"How could you be here?" Barbara asked her "He left you in the past, seven years ago."  
  
"I was stunned, lost, I thought we had lost this fight. Until I remembered the Materioptikon that I had picked up. I took it between in my hands, maybe if it can do his dreams come true, my dreams too. I wished that all would go back to reality, but the piece is too small and not as powerful as the big one. The most that I could do was move the time forward and get back to the present. I came here, knowing that you have the equipment to face him. But I wasn't sure if the Clock Tower would exist...or Oracle"  
  
Barbara couldn't believe her words, that story was fantastic, but out of all reality. She shook her head, it was terrible, it couldn't be. Dinah read it in her eyes.  
  
"Barbara, I know it's hard to believe," the teen said taking her hands, "but I need you to trust in me. I looked around a few days, I needed know how much your life had changed. Two days ago I knew that Helena was now a burglar; I read in the newspapers about the police trapping her... that the police think she is a murder. When I read that you were looking for a lawyer I understood that in some way you too had kept in touch. It gave me hope."  
  
"Hope?" Barbara laughed. "She killed twenty people, they think she deserves the death penalty."  
  
"You can't believe she could do that. I know her, she couldn't."  
  
"The evidence was in her apartment..."  
  
"I read that too, I'm sure he wants to finish with her; I'm sure he put those proofs in her apartment. He killed those people. You told me he is here and that nobody can stop him."  
  
"Why he didn't kill you that night?" Barbara stirred her coffee with a spoon.  
  
"He thought I was trapped in the past." Dinah explained. "And about you... he didn't know that Oracle exists."  
  
"So... he wants the police to think she is a murderer and..."  
  
"The justice system will kill her. No Helena, no Huntress, no more problems."  
  
"Huntress?"  
  
"She calls herself Huntress."  
  
Barbara sighed and rested her back in the chair crossing her fingers on her waist. She looked the blond girl in silence.  
  
"And you want me to believe that story?" she finally asked.  
  
"I hope... or we are lost."  
  
"How? How can I believe something I have never lived." Barbara moved her hands nervously trying to understand what was happening. "Why I must believe you? I don't know you... You are just a teen, maybe addicted to drugs. Look at yourself!"  
  
Dinah examined her clothes. She had been living in a shelter the last eight days. "I know, I know," she said, "But I have this." Dinah put a small piece of a gem stone, almost .39 inch, on the table. "The Materioptikon."  
  
Barbara looked the small piece of ruby over the table and she opened her eyes in shock. "Oh my God! It can't be."  
  
"You can examine it and prove I'm not lying, the composition of the stone is in the database."  
  
Barbara sat, unmoving, not sure what to do.  
  
"And with this..." Dinah leaned forward and took Barbara's wrist. Several images appeared in Barbara's mind like flashbacks. About her past, present. About her and the girls at Clock Tower.  
  
Barbara pulled her hand and breathing faster "What was that?"  
  
"Our reality, the present that he stole from us. You saw it."  
  
Barbara looked her hands; she really had seen Helena, Dinah and her. The girl was telling the true. It couldn't be, all her life, all her present... She wheeled back. "I need air."  
  
Dinah watched her go. She closed her eyes and covered her face hoping desparately that Barbara would believe her words. 


	4. Our present

Helena was inside an interrogation room, she sat in a chair waiting, tapping her foot waiting. She felt tired of answering questions. She missed the cold night when she could move free without chains. Behind a big mirror, detective Reese and Mcnally looked her. Reese crossed his arms and frowned.  
  
"You get her." Mcnally said. "finally you get her."  
  
"Yes, but I never thought she could be implicate in that attack."  
  
"She is beauty."  
  
"I had seen her, but just in fast moments. She liked to play with me." He opened the door "Well, let's go."  
  
They walked into the small room. Helena recognized the detective and smiled to herself. He had been trying to trap her since a year ago unsuccessfully. He liked her. He was a gentleman and he always kept his composure.  
  
"Hey." She joked "Finally you got me. Congratulations. You really worked hard for this moment."  
  
He sat on the table next to her and looked at her in silence. MacNally rested his back on the wall.  
  
"Im popular." She said "You are my third visit in two days."  
  
"Miss Kyle." Reese crossed his arms. "You are in trouble, big trouble."  
  
"Who is the bad guy today?" Helena asked curious. "Him or you? I'm just asking... to know."  
  
"Nobody here is the bad guy, just you." Reese sighed.  
  
"I'm not bad guy, I'm just a cat-burglar girl."  
  
"I know that."  
  
"¿Do you have a cigarette?"  
  
Reese rolled his eyes. McNally took one from his pocked and gave it to her.  
  
"I see." Helena smiled "You are the good guy today" McNanlly lit it with a lighter. "Do you have a girlfriend?" she said looking Reese.  
  
"Why did you kill those people?" The detective asked seriously.  
  
Helena's face changed "I didn't kill anyone. That wasn't nice detective."  
  
"I found many proofs in your apartment." He seemed didn't listen her.  
  
"Proof that I'm sure you put there."  
  
"Don't offend me young lady."  
  
"Don't offend me detective."  
  
"Do you enjoy collecting things of your victims?" he raised a bag with wallets.  
  
She looked at the bag and took it. After examining it a few seconds she gave it back. "You disappoint me."  
  
"Me? Why?"  
  
"I have better taste. Those wallets are common, plastic ones. I prefer jewels, big ones and money, not 5 dollars, I'm talking about thousands of dollars. You know that. This is a fake."  
  
Reese put the pictures on the table. "This is not a fake."  
  
She looked the pictures "I know, this was a murder, but it wasn't me."  
  
"Could you explain to me why wallets of the victims, plastic bombs and this pictures were at your apartment?"  
  
"Do you like my apartment?" Helena asked curiously.  
  
"We are talking seriously."  
  
"I'm asking you seriously. Do you like it?"  
  
Reese rolled his eyes and stood up saying exasperated. "Why is everything such a joke to you?  
  
"It's not a joke." Helena explained crossing her arms "I like to hear new ideas from people. Do you like the wall color?"  
  
He put his hands over the table with a loud noise. "Why did you kill them?"  
  
"That wasn't nice detective." Helena glared to him "First, I'm not yelling at you; don't yell at me. Second, I didn't kill anyone."  
  
"We found..."  
  
"This is not my style, and you know that."  
  
"Everybody has a first time, until you..."  
  
"Yes?" she flirted with him and raised her brow "And... how do you think was my first time?"  
  
Reese swallowed. They looked at each other in silence. Reese was trapped by those deep blue eyes; he couldn't deny it, she was beauty, very beautiful. McNally coughed, bringing Reese to reality. Helena smirked.  
  
"I'm going to prove that you did it." Reese said angry.  
  
"You can't prove something that is not true." Helena crossed her arms "You put those proofs in my apartment."  
  
"I never would do something like that!" he said annoyed.  
  
"As I never would kill people." She stood up and locked her eyes on him "Someone, if not you, is trying to involve me in this. Why? I don't know, but when all this ends, I'll prove you that I'm innocent."  
  
He laughed "Sure, you and I know that you stole from the museum, and the collection of Wales princess, and the Central of Jewelery."  
  
"Well I can't deny it."she sat again "But you can't deny it either. It was an excellent job." She rested her back in the chair.  
  
"You are a cynic."  
  
"And you are too aggressive. Relax, come on. You have me, you must be happy."  
  
"You are in trouble Kyle." Reese said "How could you be so...?"  
  
"Reese" she smoked her cigarette and put her leg on the chair. "I'm a burglar. I accept it. The best one. You know that, but I'm not a killer. I swear it to you."  
  
"You need a lawyer." He sighed, frustrated.  
  
"I got it." She moved her head. "You just want see my head hanging."  
  
"I just want justice."  
  
She stood up, angry, and faced him "Well, if you want justice, find those son of a bitches that put all that false evidence inside my apartment to involve me in that murder!"  
  
Their faces were inches from each other. Each one could feel the breath in their faces. He could smell her perfume, her blue eyes were brilliant and... charming? Helena was trapped for a few seconds in his deep look; she never had been so near to him. His lips, his lips were...  
  
"W...wh-hat d-do-do you want?" he stammered.  
  
"If it's for being a burglar..." she swallowed, trapped in that moment; he was really handsome, and smelled good, very good. "then send me to jail... but not for being a killer. Find the real killer, the one that is trying to involve me in all of this. You can send me to fry my brain if you want, but it wouldn't change the fact that the real killer will be free."  
  
They looked in silence a few seconds more until he broke the contact, turning his face. "I don't believe you. Let's go McNally."  
  
"So." She said "You are as stupid as I thought, you know I'm telling the truth."  
  
"Maybe." He walked to the door while McNally exited the room.  
  
"Bring me pop tarts next time!" she said.  
  
Reese closed the door behind him. She sat at the desk without knowing what to think or do, but he smelled good. She laughed to herself. Dammit, she was in the middle of a big trouble and she was flirting with a cop.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara examined the ruby, it was a part of the Materioptikon. After that, she talked all night with the teen. She felt impressed about the knowledge Dinah had of the Clock Tower and her personal life, as well as Helena, Alfred, Bruce and Selina and her father, Commissioner Gordon. She listened to her in the kitchen, her hand over her mouth and nose trying to understand the girl's words, who said she was Barbara's protégée.  
  
Dinah finished explaining everything and looked at Barbara with hope that the older woman would believe her. Barbara rubbed her face and ran her fingers through her hair nervously with out saying a word. The kid couldn't be lying; and that fact terrified her. Her life had been changed by a criminal in a terrible way. She looked on at her in silence.  
  
"I'm not lying, I promise" Dinah begged, "Please believe me."  
  
"How many days has it been since you've eaten?" Barbara asked.  
  
"Well...I...I have been living in a shelter the last week..."  
  
"Why did you wait for more than a week to look for me?" Barbara wheeled toward the fridge and opened it. She took a pizza box out and popped it in the oven.  
  
"I was afraid. I didn't know how I'd explain all this to you. I thought through this thousands of times. I needed know what and how you and Helena had changed in these years," Dinah explained "I knew this was the moment to approach you Helena has a big heart, she couldn't kill, not innocent people. After I read the newspapers I understood that no matter what he does, you two had kept in contact some way or another."  
  
"Have you seen him... Dr. Destiny?"  
  
"No, but I know he is here, I've contacted people, I've read newspapers. He said he is the king of the underworld. If he knows I'm here he will try to kill me and you too. He'd rather avoid me talking to you. We need to find him and find the ruby and put everything back to normal.  
  
Barbara placed a slice of pizza on a plate and handed it to Dinah, along with a glass of milk.  
  
"Thanks." The blond said smiling. She was really hungry.  
  
Barbara watched eat her in silence. Dinah felt her glaze on her, she raised her head. "You think I'm crazy, right?" she asked with sadness.  
  
"The worst of all is that..." Barbara shook her head "Is that I believe in you."  
  
Dinah felt a heavy weight lit from her shoulders. She sighed and smiled and after a few seconds she started to cry. Barbara wheeled toward her.  
  
"Hey." She said "calm down "What happened?"  
  
"Oh Barbara" She hugged her and sobbed "I felt desperate, so alone, I thought you'd never believe me! I'm scared."  
  
Barbara rubbed her back. "Easy, calm down, calm down. I think you and I need to rest and later think about what we should do. I need to sort out my thoughts too."  
  
"Morning Miss Barbara." Alfred greeted as he strolled into the kitchen.  
  
"Alfred." Dinah smiled when she saw him.  
  
"Good morning young lady," Alfred greeted back.  
  
"Alfred, this is Dinah." Barbara said.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you." He said looking at the piece of pizza in the box "I can see that Miss Barbara had been practicing her culinary skills on you."  
  
Barbara glared at him. "Funny. Alfred, Dinah is going to stay with us a few days, she is tired." She looked her "You need a bath and clean clothes."  
  
"I can use your Mickey shirt..." Dinah pointed out.  
  
Barbara blinked. After a few seconds she reacted. "Oh sorry, I forgot."  
  
"Helena loves it too."  
  
"Really?" the red head smiled.  
  
"Yes, she likes taking it to her apartment."  
  
"That would make me real angry."  
  
"Yeah, you do get pretty angry."  
  
Alfred didn't understand a word and instead, walked towards the bedrooms. "I 'll prepare the guest room immediately," He said.  
  
"Go take a bath." Barbara took the blonde's hand, "Take my... Mickey shirt afterwards and go sleep, we will talk later, okay?"  
  
Dinah nodded and before leaving she hugged her and gave her a kiss. "Thanks so much, I love you. I missed you."  
  
"Don't worry, everything will be okay."  
  
Barbara looked her go; she rubbed her eyes. She still couldn't believe it, but now she needed rest too. She wheeled toward her room.  
  
* * * 


	5. Hard days

Late at night in the Clocktower, Alfred raised his brown eyes. He was standing next to  
  
Barbara who sat in front of Delphi. She played with her pen. She had told him the whole story, it was hard to believe, but he knew Barbara was a difficult person, it wasn't easy deceiving her.  
  
"Yes, I couldn't sleep. This is ... madness. But she knows a things that nobody else would know."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"She's been sleeping since this morning; she was tired, hungry..." Barbara rubbed her face "this is incredible. If all of this is true, all our lives are fakes."  
  
"What are you going to do?" he asked offering her glass of orange juice.  
  
"First we try to find Dr. Destiny, he is the only one that can confirm the truth."  
  
"How are you going to do that? You need somebody to help you."  
  
"I did a few tests on Dinah last night. It's true, she is meta, and she showed me some of her mind and fighting skills; she told me I trained her and that she used to go on patrol with Helena."  
  
"That's funny, Miss Helena as crime fighter." "Not even her father could convince her to change. She is so damn stubborn."  
  
"Why don't you call him?"  
  
"I need to be completely sure."  
  
They heard Dinah's steps in the hallway, she looked sleepy.  
  
"Good Evening young lady." Barbara greeted.  
  
"Hey... I think I slept too much..."  
  
"Would you like a proper healthy dinner or would you like to sample Miss Barbara's cooking again?" Alfred quirked.  
  
"That wasn't nice Alfred." The red head glared at him.  
  
"Barbara we need find doctor Destiny. We need to get that ruby and restore reality."  
  
"Uhh... you're too fast." Barbara said "Do you have a plan?"  
  
"We need Helena."  
  
"Helena? For what?"  
  
"Helena has the skills, I can't do this alone, neither can you. And if he sees me he would surely would know that something had gone wrong and disappear with the ruby, if he does it again we never will have the opportunity to restore the present."  
  
"Interesting point of view." Alfred said.  
  
"Helena is in prision Dinah, she is a burglar, not a crime fighter."  
  
"We need her to escape."  
  
"Out of the question!" Barbara exclaimed "That is the most insane part of your whole story."  
  
"No, look..." Dinah took her earrings and her necklace off and gave it to Barbara.  
  
"It's nice" the redhead said looking at them "But, thanks, I don't want it..."  
  
"You made it, Helena has one too, well, in our present, it's a transceiver; we talk to you using it, you give us orders and by using Delphi you guide us through places, buildings or help us to open doors, find codes. The earrings are like speakers, the bird is the mic. You can follow us though Delphi, it sends a signal to the system." Dinah moved towards Delphi and began to type.  
  
"Hey, hey!" Barbara said alarmed "Don't touch that!"  
  
"Don't worry." The blond girl smiled at her "I know what I'm doing. I only need to program the frequency into your computer."  
  
Barbara and Alfred looked on amazed at how she worked the keys; it seemed that she knew what she was doing. After a few minutes Dinah stepped back.  
  
"Ready, take a look." She pointed the screen. Barbara saw a red light over the screen on a map of the city.  
  
"What is that?" the red head asked.  
  
"Just watch, don't touch anything." Dinah claimed back the necklace and the earrings and ran towards the elevator. The doors closed. Barbara and Alfred watched her go.  
  
"And now?" Barbara scratched her head.  
  
"She must have some plan in mind."  
  
"This is a madness." The redhead moved her head.  
  
"Let her try..." the old man smiled.  
  
"Im on it... but it's hard."  
  
"If she says the truth..."  
  
"That's the part that scares me."  
  
::Can you see me?:: Dinah asked.  
  
They heard her voice through Delphi's speakers. Barbara leaned and looked the moving red dot.  
  
"Oh my..." she said.  
  
"Now I'm starting to feel worried" Alfred said "Is she telling the truth?"  
  
"I'm afraid so. Dinah come back here, we need talk."  
  
"If we free Helena from jail, we are breaking the law." Barbara explained. Alfred was stood up a few steps from her.  
  
"And Helena will be dead soon and you will loose our opportunity to bring back reality." Dinah protested pacing around the Delphi.  
  
"We are living in reality."  
  
"But the reality that he wants, not ours."  
  
"Dinah, all the headlines in newspapers are against her," Barbara said, frustrated. "The people want to see her dead. It's not easy to hide a person like that right now."  
  
"I know thatt!"  
  
"What's your idea?"  
  
"Dr. Destiny wants to see her dead. I'm sure he put that evidence in her apartment. We need to get her out of jail, explain everything to her and convince her that she must go to see him to ask to join his team."  
  
"It will be quite difficult make her quit being a burglar and make her believe your story Miss Dinah." Alfred said.  
  
"I know her, don't worry," the teen said. "But we need her inside to know where he hid the Materioptikon."  
  
"Don't you think he would kill her as soon as he sees her?" Alfred asked.  
  
"No..." Barbara bit her lip. "He would see it as part of his revenge by using her to commit his robberies. He knows he could destroy her life and have control over it; making his game more interesting."  
  
"You can help her commit some robberies to make her earn his trust," Dinah explained, "using your knowledge and the Delphi's communication system. I could stay near her, and at the best possible moment trap him and take the ruby."  
  
Barbara moved her hands nervously as Dinah sat in front of her waiting. Barbara took off her glasses and looked at her. "Do you know that the only person that could pull off our plan successfully is a crazy, stubborn and obstinate cat-burglar, whose only interest in life are gems and money. And at this exact moment she is in jail waiting a trial for robbery and the murder of 20 people?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So?"  
  
"We don't have any other options."  
  
Barbara looked at Alfred, he nodded. Barbara sighed. "I don't know who is more insane in this, you and your story or me for believing you.."  
  
"I will consider this a draw," Alfred said tuning. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes."  
  
"I need to think of other options before I agree to break Helena out of jail. That is against the law." Barbara said.  
  
"But Barbara..."  
  
"We will wait, be patient."  
  
A dark figure sat in front of a desk covered in newspapers. He laughed reading one of them. "You are mine, Huntress." He stood up and walked toward the window, he looked the city down. "And new Gotham is mine too." He looked again the newspapers "Maybe you need me to push you a bit more, girl."  
  
Helena sat inside her jail at Arkham. She felt like a monkey in the zoo inside that crystal cell. She wanted to run away but the security system was complicated, and there were always guards around her with big rifles. Plus she had promised Barbara to be quiet. It was boring sitting and waiting. But she didn't have so many choices.  
  
She heard the heavy door open. Reese walked in. She felt happy to see someone, she stood up. "Hey, I see that you missed me." She smiled.  
  
He couldn't understand her strange sense of humor. Sometimes she exasperated him and sometimes she made him laugh. But he couldn't deny that he felt attracted to her. He walked around the cell and stood up in front of her. He pulled a drawer that was used to give her things. She watched him curiously. He put a bag with pop tarts inside.  
  
"That was nice." She said pulling the drawer to remove the pop tarts. She sat on the floor. He smiled, she looked like a big kid. It was hard to imagine she was a dangerous burglar.  
  
"How are you?" he asked.  
  
"Well, as you can see, very busy. I never imagined bein in jail would be so boring." She bit a pop tart.  
  
"Well," he looked around, "this isn't exactly something exciting."  
  
"Yes, I prefer be hanging on a building."  
  
"You do things that I have never seen anyone else do."  
  
"I'm cool, right?" Helena laughed.  
  
"How do you do that?" Reese asked with curiosity. "You jump high distances, you fight incredibly. How did you free yourself from the handcuffs that time that I chained you to a window?"  
  
"I imagine you must have problems with your girlfriend. Do you like to chain her too?"  
  
"You never take anything seriously."  
  
"Only one life, detective."  
  
"People say cats have nine lives."  
  
"Maybe I've used all mine and I don't have any more." She put another pop tart in her mouth. "Why are you here? I know it's not a social visit."  
  
"Yea, yea." He scratched his head. "We are going to move you."  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"The trial is going to be in Metrópolis. We are going to move you there next week."  
  
"Metrópolis? Good, I don't know that city." She cleaned her mouth with her fingers.  
  
He blinked "You... have never there?"  
  
"No. I'm an international burglar that has never been in Metrópolis. Curious, eh?"  
  
"But..."  
  
"But?" She looked at him quizzically.  
  
"The explosion that killed that people was in Metrópolis."  
  
"You just screwed up a great moment, detective." Helena rolled her eyes "I told you I didn't kill those people. Anyway, the law is always slow, what is the hurry?"  
  
He looked at her curiously. "One of the victims was the son of the Commisioner of Metrópolis." He observed her surprised face.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Five children and the Commisioner's son. He was 16."  
  
"Dammit!" Helena growled and stood up, she began to pace around the cell.  
  
"What's the problem?"  
  
"How can you ask me that? Five children! Five innocents! And a kid! That is disgusting! That was... damn sick people. And everybody thinks it was me."  
  
"You did it," Reese said.  
  
Helena walked toward the glass wall and hit it hard with her fist making it tremble. She looked him with her feral eyes. He stepped back, surprised. What was that? He had never seen anything like that.  
  
"Who the hell do you think am I?" the brunette shouted "I'm not a monster! I never would do something like that! Stupid cop."  
  
"Don't call..."  
  
"You are an asshole!" Helena yelled. "I didn't do it! Don't you hear me? I will be anything you want: an orphan, a damn girl, a burglar, a criminal, but I will never be a killer of children !!!" she moved back shaking her head; in some way he had hurt her.  
  
"Your eyes..." he mumbled.  
  
"Go away dammit! You are an expert at always screwing up all our conversations." She turned her back on him and put her hands on the glass wall resting her forehead there. Things were getting worse..  
  
Reese found that he believed her and he didn't understand why. "I'm sorry," he whispered.  
  
"Please go. I want to be alone."  
  
He pressed his lips and walked outside the cell. Helena stood up there in silence. She brushed her hair. Someone was trying to put her in serious trouble and whoever it was, he had done it. She just could only stay and wait for Barbara to help her. She was her only hope. 


	6. The plan

Helena was sleeping deeply. She began to cough, a bad smell woke her up. The cell was filled with a white cloud. She coughed again and stood up. "Guard! Hey guard!" Something was wrong. She felt her throat closing, that was a kind of gas that didn't let her breathe. She hit the glass with her fist.

"Guard!" she shouted "Open the door!" she coughed and taking the table she smashed it against the glass, but didn't break. She was in trouble; she smashed the protection with her hands and feet but it was stong and didn't shatter. She was trapped.

She walked towards her night table, and picked up the lighter. The sparks ignited the wick and a flame flickered and danced, sapping up the gas. She brought the flame to the edge of the sheet, the flame licked at the fabric of the sheets. It caught the flame and slowly began burning. "Came on." She coughed.

She took it and moved the bed under the fire alarm. She coughed again, feeling her mind blurring. She fell to the floor and opened her mouth trying to breathe, the strange gas was overwhelming her. The alarms turned on. She moved to the door and tried to All turned back and she slipped to the floor.

The next thing she felt was someone taking her by her arm and dragging her out of the cell. "What the hell are you doing?" she heard a voice say, but she couldn't answer, she passed out.

"Your conspiracy theory is a fact." Barbara said to Dinah wheeling inside the lab. The blond girl was reading some information from the computer screen.

"I don't understand."

"Some one tried to kill Helena last night." 

"What? How is she?" Dinah asked alarmed.

"She's okay. Some one had used the air ducts to inject poison gas in her cell. She gotthe guards attention by burning her bed. I called my father, he told me the police are going to move Helena to Metrópolis. It will be safer for her. I was thinking about the fact that the explosion that killed the people was in that city. They want to hold Helena's trial in Metropolis"

"I don't like this." Dinah looked Alfred worried.

"Me either." Barbara began to type at the Delphi. "And things are getting worse."

"What?"

"A year ago, the mayor of New Gotham was murdered in his home. Police never found the killers. The police gained access to Helena's bank accounts. In the security box at one of the banks they found the Rolex, some chains and a golden ring that belonged to him."

"Some one is trying to involve her in more trouble." Dinah said.

"And guess what? He was one of the principal people that were trying to trap Dr. Destiny and had been stopping some of his work. He is playing with her destiny. Im sure he will make things worset for her."

"So?"

"You are right. I need to get her out of there."

"How is it going with the new necklace?" the blond girl stood up behind Barbara.

"Almost done, I can't deny it was a great invention. The person who designed it was a genius."

"It was you."

"I know it." 

Dinah rolled her eyes

"They are going to move her next week. I need know the route to try to make a plan to get to her."

"Are we going to…?"

"Yes," Barbara said. "We are going to kidnap her. It's our chance"

"It's strange to hear you talking about breaking the law Miss Barbara.." Alfred pointed.

"Just keep the secret.." Barbara smirked and looked her watch. "Well, I need go to see her."

"I will like see her." Dinah said.

"But."

"Please Barbara."

"Okay, come with me."

The metal door of the cell opened. Barbara wheeled inside followed by Dinah. The blond girl looked around. Helena sat on the floor, her back against a wall of the transparent cell, where was only a bed a chair and a small table. She was was doing a castle with cards distractely. Dinah felt her heart sink, she didn't like see her friend caged there.   
  
"Hi Helena." Barbara said. The brunette kept playing with it without pay atention to her. She moved until she was in front of her. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"She is a friend...Dinah. She is helping me with your case."  
  
Helena raised her eyes a second to the young girl and returned to play with her cards.  
  
"Don't worry Helena, every…"  
  
"Don't worry?" Helena glared at her and stood up "What the hell is happening here? I don't understand!" she walked toward her bed and took a newspaper "Five children were murdered, a kid of sixteen!, some psycho put proof inside my apartment and now everybody thinks I killed those innocents!"   
  
She put the newspaper against the glass that had a big headline: _Death Penalty to Kyle: District Attorney._   
  
"And all the newspapers have articles about how people like me don't deserve to be alive! Last night some one tried to kill me!" the brunette shouted making a big ball with the journal "And you ask me not to worry?"  
  
"We know who is behind it all."  
  
Helena walked toward her and put her hands over the glass. "Who is the son of bitch?"  
  
"Dr. Destiny." Dinah said.  
  
"That's a stupid name." Helena glared to her. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Dinah, Dinah Lance. I want help you."  
  
"Helena you are innocent" Barbara said.  
  
"Only you think that." She paced around the cell. "I'm lost."  
  
"Helena, it's a long story," Barbara interrupted "I just came here to tell you not to worry; we are working on this. You are innocent. Calm down."  
  
Helena braced herself and stood up in silently in the middle of the cell. After several long seconds she looked Barbara. "They are going to move me to Metrópolis." She said in low voice.   
  
"I know." Barbara nodded.  
  
Helena hesitated before asking, "Are you going to be there?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The trial will be long."  
  
"No matter, we are going to be together during this one." Barbara smiled "Just don't do something stupid."  
  
Dinah felt touched. She could feel the bond that keep them together. He couldn't break it, or change their lives. It gave her the strength to keep going, to try to find him and to return her lives to normal.

  
  


Reese signed some papers and the policeman gave him a pair of keys. Helena waited next to him, chained by the hands and ankles , under the look of several guards. He put the keys in his pocket and took the arm of Helena.

"Are we married now?" she asked. He sighed and took her arm roughly. "Hey, don't push." She protested. 

"You have many friends. I know some one tried to kill you a few days ago." Reese said walking toward the parking lot.

"Popularity sucks."

"How do you feel?"

"Great. Makes me feel great knowing that everybody wants lynch me."

They climbed in the back of the Police Van. He sat her in one of the seats of the van and he sat in the opposite one. A security guard closed the door and locked it. After a few seconds the van began to move.

Dinah and Barbara obseved it from a hill inside the Hummer. 

"The van is on the road." Dinah said.

"Okay…" Barbara typed at her computer "I have it. Let's go."

Inside the Van, Helena looked her uniform, she hated it. White, like an overall, she thought it made her look fat. She raised her head and observed Reese, he was silent, writing something on his pad.

"A letter to your girlfriend?"

He kept silence and continued writting.

"You have a girlfirend right?" she asked again.

He continued writing in his pad without saying a word. She tried to stand up to look at what he was doing but he raised his hand. "Don't move."

"I don't eat people. Why don't you like to talk with me?" Helena cocked her head "Oh, I know… I make feel you nervous."

He sighed and looked her. "You don't make me feel nervous."

"I don't understand you."

"Why?" he put his pad in his pocket.

"You were behind my ass more than a year and now that you get me you don't ask me the thing that you are dying to know."

"Oh…" he smiled "Really?"

"Yes," she put her leg over the seat "I gues that is becouse you are afraid."

"Afraid:"

"Yes, afraid to know me. I'm sure I like you."

"You don't like me." He said feeling unconfortable. She was playing with him again. "But if you want me to ask you, I can ask."

"Okay you can ask me, and later I'll ask you."

"Forget it."

"Don't be so serious Reese, this is just a game, this is a boring trip of three hours." Helena said "Do you want to just stay here looking each other stupidly? Came on, I don't bite and… after all these years to be playing the cat-mouse game, I think, that it will be good time to get to know each other. You worked extra-hours for me. I'm here, ask me. Its your opportunity, I can be honest with you. This is just between you and me, here are no judges or policemen, just you and me."

He raised his brown and looke her. "Who are you?"

"Helena Kyle, cat-burglar, 24 years old. Bad student. I love jewels, money, freedom… men." She blinked to him. "My turn."

"No, you didn't answer me."

"I answered you."

"How could you jump between all those buildings? How do you fight the way you do? Why did your eyes change?"

Helena rolled her eyes. "I can't talk about some things."

"Why not?"

"You couldn't understand."

"You said, [I]I'll answer you everything[/I]." He crossed his arms.

She moved her head down, after a few seconds she raised her head. "Okay, but please just answer me before something… Do you really think that I killed those people?"

He frownered "Is that important?"

"Yes. In some way… we are like… friends…yes… and… maybe, well… I would like to know what you think." She locked her eyes on him.

Their looks were fixed on each other long seconds. "No." he finally responded.

Helena smiled with sadness "Thanks."

"Why it is important for you?"

"Nobody believes in a burglar, nobody cares about who am I or how am I, nobody believes in me. Since I lost my mother, my whole life has turned into a nightmare." She played nervous with her fingers "The people want see me fried in an electric chair. Don't think its easy to live with knowing that many people want to see you dead. Just two people believe my word. You are one of those two people." 

She wanted to believe in some one, she needed try to feel that she wasn't alone. She had been alone the last few years and her past had been more than difficult. She closed her eyes. She wanted to rest, feel free of all that madness just for a second. 

He couldn't deny that he felt friendly towards her. She looked fragile, and strong at the same time. She looked sweet, rough, sexy and dangerous. It was an exciting combination. He wanted to make her feel better. But he was a cop, and she a prisioner. She followed justice and the shine of the money.


	7. The bat and the cat

Thanks for your post, you are so nice... I mixed some parts of Slick to this one...

Helena had dissappeared for almost three years. After her return, she had contacted Barbara, and had insisted that she had been living with her "uncle" and that he had given her a trust fund. Barbara told her that Selina didn't have any family but Helena had defended her story so she wouldn't have to tell her that she become a burglar to survive, and to hide her real activities as burglar to the red head and the real origin of her luxurious life.  
  
Her meta-abilities helped her to steal a lot of money. Money that she used to come back to New Gotham, buy an apartment and continue with her criminal career.  
  
Barbara easily figured it out; she had talked with Helena, asking her to change her life. The brunette told her she loved that life, that she couldn't, just as Barbara couldn't stop being a crimefighter; but she didn't want to lose her again. She asked Barbara for the opporunity to continue their friendship and to separate the friendship from their profesional careers.  
  
That wasn't new for Barbara, she had the same relationship with Selina. She accepted it and kept in contact with the girl that she had meet known since she was a kid.  
  
Helena commited many successful, high profile robberies of stores and jewelers, but she was very clean, she never left traces. Barbara had tried to catch her unsuccessfully, she was as good as her mother.  
  
Helena always came back to her; they kept in contact, making a truce to talk when it happened; Barbara was her confidant in many ways, and the red head couldn't deny help to her, always having hope the she would be able to convince her to forget her criminal life. It was strange bond between them.  
  
Downstairs, Barbara opened some files at the computer as Dinah and Helena entered the room.  
  
"The story Dinah told us isn't that far-fetched," Barbara explained. "She told me that the guy behind this is Dr. Destiny. He uses the Materioptikon to make his dreams a reality. The Materioptikon is a ruby dreamstone created by The Sandman, he irradiated it with nuclear cells and special gamma rays that altered his molecular structure."  
  
"Dammit, what did she just say?" Helena blinked looking Dinah.  
  
"Techno babbling." The blond girl rolled her eyes.  
  
"Materioptikon it's a kind of stone which transforms his dreams in to reality." Barbara looked them, repeating what she had said.  
  
"Better." Helena said.  
  
Dinah nodded.  
  
"His name is John Dee. He's a caped, skull-faced super villain." Barbara showed them a picture on her computer screen.  
  
"Yikes, he's no prize," Helena joked.  
  
"He's been in several fights with the JLA. They made him spend a considerable time in limbo. The abuse of his Materioptikon robbed Dr. Destiny of his ability to dream, the result of which had transformed his body into a virtual living skeleton. The Materioptikon is a kind of magic. Under special conditions it can alter reality to his every whim and desire. We are living a nightmare that he created for you two."  
  
"We need find him in order to take the gem and return our lives to it's natural order," Dinah added.  
  
"Right." Barbara typed at keyboard at an amazing rate.  
  
"I like being a thief," Helena said. "It's fun and it's a family tradition."  
  
"But your dad was a superhero," Dinah said sarcastically.  
  
"Don't go there."  
  
"Some things never change," Dinah sighed.  
  
"Your mother's lawyer died the same day she was murdered. A few hours after her death," Barbara explained to Helena. "Do you remember? All his papers were burned in a big fire. You never got a penny from her inheritance. The man that took you out of the city told you he was going to take care of you because he was your mother's brother. I checked his files. That was a lie."  
  
Helena leaned over the screen.  
  
"He took you to that boarding school telling you he was your uncle," The red head explained. "When I went to check his files, his name doesn't exist. He just wanted to take you far away from here."  
  
"Who was he then?"  
  
"Maybe someone that Dr. Destiny paid. If Dinah is telling the truth he changed your future," Barbara said. "You began stealing as a way to survive."  
  
All of this was hard to understand, much less believe. Helena looked at her in silence for a few moments. "How could he know who was I and who my mother was?"  
  
"Because you never want to wear a mask. Your identity was clear," Dinah said.  
  
Helena glared to her.  
  
"He surely recognized you as Helena Kyle." Barbara looked at her. "Everybody knew who your mother was and what happened to you. It was all over the news. I looked for you after the accident and I couldn't find you. I wanted to bring you back here with me. I searched for a long time, but alot of the time I was closed off from the world by my own pain. I was so stupid!"  
  
"Don't worry," Helena said, "I was just your friend's daughter. You had no obligation to me."  
  
"You were my responsibility!"  
  
"Barbara you couldn't know!" Helena exclaimed. "He burned the papers that stated my mother's wishes to put me in your custody. Barbara, you may be an Oracle, but can't know everything."  
  
"This is not a papers fact, Helena." Barbara was angry with herself. "I knew you, you were a kid. I knew you were alone. You needed someone and...and..."she felt the words stuck on her tongue.  
  
"She loves you," Dinah interrupted. She knew how difficult it was for both women to open up to each other.  
  
"Dinah..." Barbara looked her.  
  
"It's true! You two are the most closed off people that I've ever met! We have a better chance of seeing Alfred in shorts than seeing you two open up your hearts to one another!"  
  
"Bullshit!" Helena growled, feeling uncomfortable.  
  
"Okay, okay! Let's get the plan underway," Dinah said, trying to get back on track.  
  
Barbara coughed. "Okay."  
  
"First part of the plan," Helena said, "I need to change these awful clothes."  
  
"Alfred!" Barbara shouted.  
  
A few seconds later he appeared with a handful of clothes and handed it to Helena.  
  
She took the pile and looked them over. "Hey," she said, "These are cool. Did you buy these, Barbara?"  
  
"Dinah did. She knows what you like."  
  
Helena smirked at the teen. "I don't know how you know these things, blondie, but these are cool. Thank you."  
  
"Just don't call me blondie."Dinah sighed.  
  
"Okay... Kid."  
  
Dina moved her head.  
  
"Let's go to rest, tomorrow we can discuss this, okay?" Barbara said looking both girls.

"Don't tell me you bought that?" Helena sat in a chair next to Barbara's bed. She was switching through the channels on the TV every second with a remote control. She had followed her after the discussion in the lab. After all the success, she felt the adrenaline still rushing through her body and sleep was a thing that she far from feeling.  
  
"l'm telling you there's no reason to panic." Barbara turned the page of the book that she was reading.  
  
"Something panic-worthy always happens right after you say that."  
  
"Look, she's not just a runaway. She's a metahuman like you. Now you know better than I do how hard the world is for kids like that"  
  
"I don't like her, it's not normal for her to suddenly appear with a whole fantastic story. I'm sure she is looking for something else."  
  
Barbara watched the Tv screen "Helena stop changing the channels, you are making me crazy."  
  
"All this crime fighitng and no social life is making you grouchy." The brunette looked her. Barbara lowered her book "I'm not grouchy! I'm just... realistic. Have a heart, she told me things that were true. She knows things that only you, Alfred and I know, no one else."  
  
Helena leaned back on her chair and continued changing the channels. "She is a spy. Someone sent her here, I don't understand why, but I'm sure of that."  
  
"I don't think she is a spy."  
  
"So... she just suddenly appeared and told you this fantastic story about a guy that changed the past including you and me. She told you details that nobody else knows, just a few people."  
  
"Yes." Barbara placed her book aside.  
  
"How long have you know her?"  
  
"Three weeks a month ago..."  
  
"Three weeks?" Helena glared to her "And you're just mentioning this now?"  
  
"I thought you might overreact." Barbara had began to feel exasperated with the sound of the channels changing.  
  
"I'm not overreacting." Helena explained "I'm very calmly pointing out we have no idea who this girl is. I'm worried! What if she is a psycho? What if she tries to kill you?"  
  
Barbara moved downwards and snatched the remote control out of her hands. "Stop that!"  
  
"Hey!" the young woman protested.  
  
"I ran a background check." The redhead put the control on her night table.  
  
"You did? What'd you find?"  
  
"She said she is from Missouri, I ran a facial recognition auto search on year book photos from that state going back five years." She picked up a paper and a picture from her night table and handed it to Helena, it was a picture of Dinah from years ago. "Meet Dinah Redmond of Opal, Missouri."  
  
"Known by other aliases as, oh, 'the truth'." Helena interrupted.  
  
"You lied to me too."  
  
"Barbara, don't start again, you are not going to convince me to stop being a burglar."  
  
"Well, I will keep trying, maybe someday I will convince you. You know you can have a better life without being a burglar."  
  
"I'm not going to accept a single penny from my father!"  
  
Barbara glared at her and continued reading the paper in her hands. "Opal, Missouri, population two thousand, five hundred and forty-one. Some truancy, she's run away and disappeared a year ago. Nobody knows where she is. So, she is not some criminal mastermind."  
  
"So I guess I should be relieved she's not an axe murderer?"  
  
"Yes, Her parents didn't even report her missing. Sounds like maybe she had a reason to run away and her parents didn't care about it..."  
  
"She told is Black Canary's daughter, why do you trust her? Barbara, with all this top-secret super classified intel around here? She could get into anything! You told me she knew your Delphi system!"  
  
"You are here too and your record is worst than her's."  
  
"Well... but...I'm almost part of the family." Helena said unconfortably.  
  
"Yeah, right." Barbara smiled. "Look, I checked her, she's got incredible potential. I just have this gut feeling that-"  
  
"So do I. Like I'm about to get sucker-punched."  
  
"Helena, please." Barbara begged.  
  
"I'm going to help you, but I've been out in the field on my own for a very long time and that's the way I like it." The brunette pointed out.  
  
"Okay, listen to me," the red head sat up in bed and said in firm voice. "I'm trying to help you prove that you are innocent, and I have a clue thanks to Dinah. She helped me break you out of jail. Now, whether you like it or not, we are a team. T-E-A-M. And during the time while we are a team, we are going to work together, do you understand? You are going to respect her and she is going to respect you until all of this is done. I don't know if her story is made up or not, but I want to help her, because I want to know if all the things that she has told me until now are true; so, all I ask of you is to be prudent, be patient and don't go anywhere out of the Clock Tower. Got it?"  
  
Helena growled in low voice.  
  
"Got it?" Barbara asked again.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, now give me the control."  
  
Barbara glared at her and gave her the remote control "Watch only one tv program and stop to changing channel like a lunatic," she picked up her book and read while the brunette turned the TV on. 


	8. The canary and the cat

"Reese, I don't know where she is," Barbara said to the detective. They were at his office. He had called her. Angrily, he paced around the room. He was frustrated after the escape of the brunette. He had a small patch on his forehead.  
  
"You must know," he said to her.  
  
"Detective, she was your responsibility; not mine."  
  
"You contracted her lawyer; she trusts you."  
  
"You know her, she doesn't listen to anyone!" Barbara protested.  
  
"This will turn worse for her. Tell her to come back." Reese put his hands over the arms of the wheelchair and leaned over her.  
  
"I promise to speak with her, if she calls me, but I'm not sure if she will," Barbara told him.  
  
He moved his hands nervously and stepped back. "The governor is angry, he wants her. The entire police force is trying to trap her now."  
  
Barbara looked at him in silence. Reese sat on his desk.  
  
"Who is the blond girl?" he asked.  
  
Barbara was upset "Were you keeping an eye on me?"  
  
"Sorry, it was necessary to be sure. The last robberies, you know it's her; it's her behavior, but using a sophisticated technology."  
  
"Yes, right, the robberies have so much of her style. But I haven't seen her." She took a deep breath, feeling annoyed.  
  
"Who is the girl?" he asked her again.  
  
"She is a friend's daughter. Dinah Lance, she came here on vacation. Satisfied? Now excuse me. You called me to talk, not to an interrogation. If you want my statement; give me a court order." She stormed out of the office.  
  
He rubbed his eyes with his left hand. He was tired and was worried for the brunette. He knew someone was trying to kill her; he was sure she was innoccent of the murders, but this escape had complicated things. He looked where Barbara had gone, and he was sure she knew more than what she said.

---------------------------------------  
  
Dinah was sat alone on the balcony. She looked at the horizon. Her mind wasn't there, it was in another place; it was weird how all seemed be the same but at the same time many things had changed. Her life; she wanted to go back to her home and wanted her friends to be as she had known them. She wasn't sure if even recovering the stone wouls allow her to bring her present back, it scared her. Her future would be uncertain if that happened.  
  
"Why are you crying?"  
  
Dinah wiped her tears quickly. "I'm not crying."  
  
"Sure, and I'm a fake brunette." Helena sat next to her. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"You are strange..."  
  
Dinah smiled "Me? No, I just... I feel out of place."  
  
The brunette observed her with curiosity crossing her arms. "Out of place?"  
  
"Look Helena... I know that you don't like me," Dinah smiled when saw her stunned face. "I know, you don't want me here, you don't trust me."  
  
"Barbara told you or... Have you been reading my mind?" she asked angrily.  
  
The teen laughed. "Of course not, with you, it is not necessary to do that. I came to New Gotham to be like you, I wanted that more than I'd ever wanted anything, well, in our real present... and you didn't want me there either. It was hard for me convince you that you could trust me."  
  
Helena sighed "Look kid, what we do is dangerous. I've been out in the field on my own for a very long time and that's the way I like it."  
  
"I've heard that speech before..." Dinah laughed thinking how many things were happening again, in a different way but happening.  
  
"Trust isn't something that you can't just be given, it has to be earned!" Helena said almost exasperated. "So why can't you just tell us the truth? That story... you know it's a lie!"  
  
"That's the truth. If you would just give me a chance, I know I could prove it to you." Dinah looked her while she thought and now she is going to say, 'When? When we're out in the field and it's full-on kill-or-be-killed combat?   
  
"When?" Helena paced at the balcony "When we're out in the field and it's full-on kill-or-be-killed combat?"  
  
"I need to be completely sure that someone's got my back." Dinah mumbled in an imperceptible voice.  
  
"I need to be completely sure that someone's got my back" Helena explained, trying to not hurt the kid.  
  
"There's only one person I can count on for that." Dinah said in loud voice.  
  
Helena stood up looking at her, those were the words that she was going to say.  
  
"I dind't read your mind, you told me that once before.." Dinah smirked crossing her arms "In 'our' real present."  
  
"That's crazy!"  
  
"You trusted me after I helped you; you were trapped between a man with a flamethrower and a man with a gun stepped up to your other side. I knocked one of them out and you were able to help Reese who was being drowned by a liquid guy."  
  
"Liquid guy?" Helena shook her head, laughing "You are really insane."  
  
"Helena, just trust me." Dinah stood up in front of her. "I want to help you. I told you who is behind this, I helped you to break out of jail, so you owe me..."  
  
"I owe you what?"  
  
"An opportunity to prove that I'm telling the truth! I just want help you to recover your real life, like Barbara, to prove you are innocent."  
  
"Why? Why do you want help me? How do you expect me to believe that stupid story about past, present and future? I think there is something more, something that you are hiding from us."  
  
Dinah understood that it was hard to convince her of the reality, so she changed her strategy "I want to trap Dr. Destiny, he screwed up my life, your life.. and I want my life back. You want him too, to prove your innocence. Look at things this way-- We are a team to trap him. After that, you can do whatever you want with your life, as can I and Barbara. Okay?"  
  
The brunette hesitated a moment. "Okay."  
  
"Deal." Dinah said and shook her hand..  
  
"Just let me warn you," Helena fixed her feral eyes on her "If you hurt her or even try to hurt her, I will look for you to the ends of the earth to kill you."  
  
"As she would do if anyone had hurt you. Like I'm trying to do right now. I have traveled to the ends of time to help you now." Dinah walked inside the Clock Tower.  
  
Helena watched her go, she was keeping her eye on her; was strange, that girl didn't seem to be afraid of her. In some way it bothered her; but well, she would have opportunity to kick her ass later. She took a cigar out of her pocket and lit it, sitting on the balcony. It was a cold night. She smoked it and closed her eyes feeling the wind playing with her hair. She loved it, she had missed it those days in jail.  
  
Reese's face appeared in her thoughts. She opened her eyeslids and looked down at the city. Maybe it wasn't as crazy as she had thought, after all, her moher had been a burglar and her father the greatest crime fighter in Gotham City. She smiled and took a smoke.  
  
This was damn madness, Helena thought; but Barbara was trying to save her and she wanted to find the person that was behind all that. The only part she still didn't like was Dinah. It was very strange that she suddenly appeared with that fantastic story, she was sure that she wanted more than just "help".

-----------------------------------

Oracle guided them to the security box of Central Bank. She had made a duplicate of the earrings and mics inside an air conditioner duct, both girls were dressed in black operating a small crane. With it, she was helping the brunette descend inside the vault.  
  
Helena was wearing special glasses to see the red lights of the alarms inside the room. "I'm in position" she said.  
  
::In front of you there are several boxes.:: she heard Oracle's voice. :: Choose the one that is right in front of you. Put the small box that I gave you on the lock.::  
  
Helena removed small box from the bag that was on her waist and put it over the lock. "Ready Barbara"  
  
::Oracle, it's Oracle..::  
  
"I don't understand why I have to call you that.."  
  
::Just do it! Give me a second:: Oracle began to type at her computer trying to find the electronic code of the security box.  
  
Helena heard Oracle typing "What are you doing?" suddenly the security box opened.  
  
:: Done:: Oracle said.  
  
"Wow!! You are amazing! After all this is over, you must consider the fact that we could be an excellent team."  
  
::Being a burglar? Forget It, I know you, big girl. Take the diamonds and move.::  
  
"Hey, senior super heroe just think about that." The brunette opened the door and took off the small box. She opened it. It was stunning to see those big gems. "Oh my God! They are wonderful." She took one between her fingers "May I keep just one?"  
  
::Helena...::  
  
The brunette grumbled and began to put the diamonds in a small bag. She emptied the box and closing the bag, she tied it around her waist. "Okay blondie, let's go."  
  
: Don't call me blondie.::  
  
Helena felt herself begin to move up. "Well, you aren't exactly a brunette." 


	9. Deal with Destiny

**Thanks for you reviews are so nice.... waves to all**

----------------

Later that night, after another robbery, Barbara, Alfred and the girls were in the kitchen. Helena was hypnotized by the gems spread out on the table. They sparkled against the dark cloth on which they rested.  
  
"They are marvelous," Alfred commented.  
  
"Really, I have never seen two million dollars in gems." Dinah said.  
  
Helena picked up a small yellow diamond. "May I keep this?"  
  
Barbara glared at her.  
  
"It's a little one," Helena whined.  
  
"No," Barbara stated firmly.  
  
"Who would miss this small thing?"  
  
"We are going to return it as soon as all this is finished." Barbara pointed at her "That was the deal."  
  
"Well... I tried." Helena shrugged her shoulders in defeat.  
  
"Your father thinks you know the whereabouts of Miss Helena," Alfred told Barbara.  
  
"Yes." The redhead rubbed her eyes. "And Reese too. They are keeping an eye on me all day. I'm sure they have tapped my phone line."  
  
"What's next Barbara?" Dinah asked. "Another robbery?"  
  
Barbara moved back. "In ten days we have robbed the bank, a jewelry exposition and the Central of jewels, I think that's enough, he must know that this is Helena's work. It's time to visit Dr. Destiny."  
  
"Am I going to sell him these diamonds?" the brunette asked.  
  
"No, I just wanted him to know that you are free and working. Dinah has been investigating. A contact told her that he is looking for the blue diamond. It's seems that he wants to improve the power of his Materioptikon. That would be dangerous. He could try to change and alter the order of all things."  
  
"The chaos?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Right, we must stop him." Barbara watched Helena, who was playing with the diamonds while she ate a cookie distractedly. "He could destroy our world; now, Helena, it's in your hands."  
  
Helena coughed. "What?"  
  
"You need to go and convince him that you want help him. To earn his trust. We need know where he is hiding and how many people are with him."  
  
"You never said this would be entirely my responsibility...I'm just a burglar, not a hero," Helena protested.  
  
"It's your destiny, to be a crime fighter." Dinah smiled.  
  
"I don't want to be bored like the senior super hero."  
  
"I'm not bored," the red head protested.  
  
"Barbara you spend all day behind your computers, you never go out, have fun or boyfriends."  
  
"Point for her," Alfred said.  
  
"I have fun."  
  
"When was the last time you had sex?" the brunette glared at her.  
  
"Helena!" the red head growled.  
  
"Hey, it's a natural thing."  
  
"It's this world, Helena," Dinah explained "It's your life, it's our lives."  
  
"Okay, okay, okay. I'll do it." She crossed her arms over the table and rested her head over them "You won. But after this I'll go back to my normal life and I don't want see you two for a long time."

--------------------------

Helena crouched in a three. She looked down, two men were outside the luxurious residence. It looked creepy. It was an old place. She cocked her head watching the many guards with rifles outside and inside the place.  
  
"This is a fortress," she said.  
  
::Are you ready to knock on the door?:: Barbara asked.  
  
"I never knock on doors."  
  
::Helena... Where are you?::  
  
"In a tree."  
  
::Helena, go to the front door. I told you...::  
  
"Too late." She jumped down and landed between two guards. She knocked them out easily.

------------------

"Helena, listen to me." Barbara said angrily into the mic. Dinah was seated next to her looking at the screen.  
  
::I'm a burglar, burglars never knock on doors. I'm in.::  
  
"Is she like this in the other reality?" Barbara asked exasperated.  
  
"And sometimes worse." Dinah sighed.  
  
"Helena, he is too dangerous."  
  
"A second." They heard many fighting noises; glass breaking and grunts.  
  
"Explain it to me, Dinah." Barbara looked at the teen. "I was her mentor, I never could teach her to understand that being a crime fighter means following certain rules?"  
  
"Well, that was always your headache."  
  
"Oh God!" Barbara let her head fall into her hands.  
  
------------

Dr. Destiny was seated in a big couch in the living room. The room was cold and dark. He saw the main door closed. After a few seconds it opened. A guard walked in with a rifle. He stood up next to the mainframe and Helena walked in, hands in her pockets. He observed her. It was the first time that he had seen her since the night when he had traveled in time. She had her hair a bit longer but her clothes and her attitude was as arrogant as ever.  
  
"Are you the girl that knocked out twelve of my men?"  
  
Helena couldn't see his face. A cape covered almost all his face. His voice was deep, the place was cold and gloomy. "They are not friendly," she said. "They attacked me and never let me explain that I wanted to talk with you; until I took this gentlemen by the throat" she pointed to a big guy behind her, with a bruise over his eye ,"and I told him that I wanted to talk with you."  
  
"What do you want?" he questioned, resting his back against the couch and crossing his fingers.  
  
"Well, I brought you this small gift," Helena said throwing him a bag. He caught the bag with his hand and opened it. Many large gems were inside.  
  
"Two million dollars there," she said.  
  
He examined the diamonds, the quality was excellent. He looked at Helena with curiosity. "And what is this for?"  
  
"You say you are the king of the criminal underworld, my mother was the queen of the criminal underworld, Catwoman, maybe you knew her... so, I will be the princess of the criminal underworld."  
  
::Princess of the underworld? That was tacky:: Barbara said.  
  
::Corny:: Dinah added.  
  
"Shut up," Helena growled in low voice.  
  
Dr. Destiny laughed loudly. "I like you.."  
  
"Well, I came here to propose a deal to you."  
  
"You are so daring," he said, amused, the girl was brave. "I have been reading about you." He took some newspapers off a table next to him and showed it to her. It was the headlines from the newspapers of the last weeks. She took one and sat in a chair not far from him.  
  
"The uniform makes me look awful. Joan Rivers would kill the people who designed it."  
  
"The police will pay a good reward for you."  
  
"Oh come on, how much? Fifty thousand?" Helena frowned. "One hundred thousand? I can give you more."  
  
"I listening." Dr. Destiny was very curious about the young girl. The game was turning most interesting.  
  
"I love my job, but I think you don't like it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You sent some of your men put false evidence in my apartment and in my bank security box. You involved me and the police think I'm the murderer. I have never been in Metrópolis. I never killed anyone."  
  
"Be careful with your words. You will cross the line. And everyone that has crossed the line is dead now."  
  
"You tried to kill me inside Arkham." She said glaring at him with feral eyes. "I'm hard to kill, I'm still here."  
  
"I can kill you now." Dr. Destiny said moving forward.  
  
Helena could see his skull face, but she didn't hesitate "You can lose a lot of money if you do it."  
  
"I have enough."  
  
She looked at the big stone that hung from his neck. "Nice red rock," she said. "I can give you something better than that, the gem that you want: the blue diamond. The biggest diamond in the world. One of your guys told me after I broke his arm that you needed it."

--------------------

"That's the Materioptikon." Barbara said.  
  
"How are we going to remove it?" Dianh asked worriedly.  
  
"I need to think on that. Helena, take notes of that whole place. We need to formulate a plan. Keep your eyes open."

-------------------

Dr. Destiny walked around Helena. "Why don't you steal the blue diamond and sell it? It's worth more than 40 million. You would keep your lifestyle a long time."  
  
Helena laughed. "Are you crazy? It's madness. It's not easy to sell a thing like that, it would take me years. I prefer small diamonds, easy to trade and great to wear." She took out of her pocket a ring with a big diamond and put it on her middle finger; she lifted her hand and showed it to him.  
  
"I understand."  
  
"But you want it." The brunette took off the ring and put it back in her poket "I'll give it to you with a small exchange."  
  
"Exchange?"  
  
"I give you the diamond if you fix the damn mess that you involved me in. Convince the police that the evidence at my apartment and in my security box was a trap. That's easy for you, you can kill someone and make him appear with a note explaining all. And second: Let me keep working, stealing jewelry and such from rich people; I'll continue with my expensive parties, travel, I don't need so much, just enough to keep my lifestyle."  
  
"Are not you interested in controlling the criminal underworld?" he asked with curiosity.  
  
"Doctor," she smirked "I'm young, I love my freedom. Power is too complicated, there are too many responsibilities, not fun."  
  
"Interesting, interesting, my dear." Dr. Destiny rubbed his chin. The girl was proposing a good deal. He would be most powerful. The crime fighter helping him to be the most powerful criminal was something unexpected.  
  
"Everybody will be happy. It's not much to ask, nothing... for 40 million." Helena cocked her head.  
  
"When?"  
  
"Eight days. At the moment that you show the police I didn't kill anyone."  
  
::Helena, don't go there.:: Barbara said into the mic.  
  
He didn't like the words of the girl. "Don't tell me what I must do."  
  
"You can do it easily. I need it as proof that you accepted the deal."  
  
"I don't do deals with anyone."  
  
"That's my condition," Helena said.  
  
::Helena, please, shut up.::  
  
"I don't accept," he growled.  
  
"Okay, so you don't have the diamond."  
  
He stood up and walked toward her. She kept unmoving but couldn't avoid the chill on her back.  
  
"Kid, I give the orders here," he growled. "I have been generous letting you live until now, don't play with your good luck. You know I can do this work by myself. I don't need you."  
  
"I know you are more powerful than me, I know you can kill me just snapping your fingers, but if you did all those things against me, it means that for some reason I worry you." Helena looked at him. "I don't want to fight you, I don't want to bother you, I just want to keep having fun when I steal."  
  
"You are brave girl. I like that." He observed her in silence a few seconds "Eight days?"  
  
"Eight days."  
  
"Okay, just don't try to be smart with me."  
  
"The blue diamond-- it's yours," she said and walked out of the room.  
  
He laughed loudly. The Huntress now was working for him. This was much better that he had ever thought. 


	10. An unexpected visit

"Helena you play so much with your luck," Barbara scolded her. "He could have killed you back there."  
  
"I'm dead anyway," she said sitting in the kitchen.  
  
"Would you like dinner Miss Helena?" Alfred asked. The girl nodded.  
  
"I don't like that you expose yourself like this," Barbara explained.  
  
"Barbara, I was acting like me." Helena sighed. "I convinced him; I did the deal, he is going to show the police that I'm inoccent. Now we need to focus on stealing that blue diamond."  
  
"Yes, the security box, it's a real change." Dinah put some plans and a picture on the table.  
  
"Piece of cake." Helena winked.  
  
The elevator door opened, Commisioner Gordon walked in. The girls froze when they saw him and stared at him. His face turned red in anger when he saw Helena sitting in the kitchen.  
  
"Oh shit..." Barbara mumbled.  
  
"No bad words at home, Barbara." Helena swallowed.  
  
"I knew it! You knew where she was!" he shouted walking into the kitchen.  
  
"Let me explain, dad..." Barbara turned her chair to him.  
  
"What the hell is this?" He moved toward Helena.  
  
"Hey, calm down." The brunette stood up and he twisted her arm roughly and put her face against the table with his hand. Some glasses fell to the floor. Dinah stood up and moved back, she and Alfred watched him without knowing what to do.  
  
"Dad, no!" Barbara wheeled toward him.  
  
Helena kept unmoving, she could taken him down easily but she didn't do it; he was Barbara's father and he was an old man; she would hurt him.  
  
"What is this?" He looked the plans and the photo of the diamond on the table "Are you helping her?" He yelled at Barbara.  
  
"Dad, please, let her go." Barbara looked at him. "Let me explain..."  
  
"Damn killer, have you brainwashed her?" he twisted Helena's arm more. She groaned. "I'll take you to jail." He took off his handcuffs.  
  
"Dad! Let her go!" Barbara yelled, moving her arms trying to appease him. "Calm down, let us explain everything! Please, trust in me!"  
  
"Master Gordon, let her explain." Alfred said touching his arm.  
  
In bad mood, he released Helena, she stood up, rubbing her arm. "What happened to you?" she asked, annoyed.  
  
"I'm not going to speak to a killer," Gordon replied loudly.  
  
"Hey, watch your mouth!" Helena growled.  
  
"Father please!" Barbara glared at him.  
  
"I can't expect anything good from the daughter of a burglar!"  
  
"Don't go there!" The brunette's eyes changed and she stepped toward him. Dinah took Helena by her arm and pulled her. "Please Helena. Let's go."  
  
"Dad, that's enough!" Barbara shouted. "Sit down now! Please Helena, let me talk with him."  
  
"Give thanks, if you weren't Barbara's father..." Helena growled, Dinah pulled her slowly out of the kitchen.  
  
Barbara faced her father. "After you listen to me, you must apologize to her."

--------------------

"Oh man, you must be joking." Helena sat over the bed with her back against the headboard. Dinah was lying down on the opposite side of the mattress.  
  
Dinah nodded her head. Helena rolled her eyes. "I can't believe it!" She took out a cigarrete and lit it.  
  
"Barbara doesn't like for you to smoke here."  
  
"She won't know if you don't tell her. So, the cop and I...? Dammit that's crazy."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He is a cop!" he said.  
  
"And you're a crimefighter!"  
  
Helena rolled her eyes. "I like so much my present. I don't see myself as a crimefighter."  
  
"Sometimes neither do I."  
  
Helena smirked and looked the blond girl. She gave her the cigarrete. "Take it."  
  
"I don't smoke." Dinah denied it.  
  
"Just one taste."  
  
"No.  
  
Helena moved towards her and lay down on her stomach in front of her. "Just once." Dinah looked the cigarette, not convinced. "One, just one long and deep. Come on blondie, you must try some day," the brunette insisted.  
  
"Barbara will be pissed," the teen said in low voice.  
  
"Barbara is not your nanny." Helena rolled her eyes "Come on."  
  
Dinah tentatively took the cigarrete and put it to her lips.  
  
"Okay," Helena instructed, "Now take a deep breath and taste the smoke, let it fill your lungs and then let it go slowly."  
  
Dinah did as Helena told her.  
  
"Dinah!" Barbara's voice echoed in the room. Helena frowned, closing her eyes, and Dinah coughed standing up.  
  
"What are you doing, Helena?" Barbara, annoyed, wheeled inside the room.  
  
Helena put her hand under her chin tapping her fingers over the mattress. "Just talking with Dinah."  
  
The teen continued coughing.  
  
"Talking?" Barbara picked up the cigarette that Dinah had thrown to the floor "What is this then?"  
  
"Oh, you found it! I had it lost!"  
  
Barbara glared at the brunette. "I've told you so many times not to smoke inside the Clock Tower"  
  
"Okay, okay." Helena stood up and took the cigarette, she put it in the trash, she turned to see Dinah who was still coughing. "Come on Dinah, was just one shot."  
  
"Sorry... cof... coff..."  
  
"Well, dad is still pissed but he is going to give me time," she explained.  
  
Helena raised her brow. "Does he believe that story about the time and the change of our future? Even I don't believe it yet."  
  
"Of course not, I left out some points. I just told him it was all was a trap for you -- Revenge by an old enemy and that we are going to trap him."  
  
"How much time?" Helena crossed her arms.  
  
"Ten days. We have ten days." Barbara pressed her lips.  
  
"Cool, if Dr. Destiny doesn't kills, the police will do it, my future looks very hopeful." She walked toward Dinah who was coughing yet and patted her back. "Hey kid, feel better?"  
  
"I'll kill you..." she coughed.  
  
"Take a number."  
  
"Okay, okay." Barbara said. "Everybody go to sleep, we will work on this tomorrow." She wheeled to the door "And no cigarettes, do you hear me?"  
  
"Yes mom."

-------------  
  
Barbara was sleeping deeply in her room, she had worked until earlt morning at the Delphi. Someone opened the curtains, the sun shined right on her face and she covered it with her pillow.  
  
"Wake up!"  
  
Barbara growled and covered her face with her blankets. She felt a heavy weight next to her.  
  
"Barbara, wake up." A hand shook her shoulder.  
  
"Helena, Dinah... I'm tired, let me sleep."  
  
"Barbara, look!" Dinah exclaimed.  
  
Barbara sighed and blinked trying to open her eyes, Helena was showing her a newspaper. "What's that?"  
  
"The police stopped the gang involved in the explosion in Metrópolis." The brunette smiled. "They got an anonymous call. They were preparing another attempt. They confessed that they planted the evidence against me to distract the police."  
  
Barbara sat and took her glasses off the night table to read the newspaper.  
  
"Destiny turned on his own men just to have the blue diamond." Dinah sat in the other side of the bed.  
  
"He's sending you the sign." Barbara looked Helena. "He wants it."  
  
"Yes, we need to go for it."  
  
"Okay." Barbara smiled. "Let's go for it."

---------------------

Reese walked toward his car. He had been working almost all night. He had an appointment with some friends in a bar. He needed a drink after the last days. The thing that bothered him more than anything was Helena's attitude; he knew that the last robberies of diamonds we her work. Why was she getting involved in more trouble, knowing that the police were looking for her? She was crazy, definitively. He took his keys and pressed the unlock button.  
  
"Hi, Detective."  
  
He almost jumped when he heard the voice behind him. He turned and saw her, she smiled. Damn, she looked so beautiful when she smiled. After a few seconds lost in his thoughts, he shook his head and took off his pistol pointing at her her. "Don't move."  
  
Helena rolled her eyes. "Shit, will the day ever come when you and I can talk like two normal people? Put that damn gun down. I'm not armed." She showed him her hands.  
  
"You..." Reese was conflicted by his feeling of happiness at seeing her and his duty.  
  
"Now I understand why you don't have a girlfriend."  
  
He shook his head and put his gun back at his side. He seemed to be annoyed.  
  
Helena noticed that. "I thought you would feel happy to see me again." She noticed a patch over his head. She hesitated and raised her hand to touch it lightly. "Are you okay? Is it from the crash?"  
  
"Yes, yes.." he moved his head back "Thanks to your friends that helped you escape."  
  
"Well, that was something that I didn't expect. It wasn't my fault."  
  
"Helena, tell me... why?" he asked facing her. "Why do you keep robbing? Why? The police are looking for you? Don't understand that you are in a really big trouble?"  
  
"Robbery?" She feigned innocence.  
  
"Don't joke with me! We know that you committed the last three jewlery robberies. They were your MO."  
  
"Oh, you know my ways... If that is true, you know I didn't kill those people."  
  
Reese moved his head "Why you don't surrender to the police and... ?"  
  
"I proved my innocence. I didn't kill those people. You know it, the police got the killers, the real ones."  
  
"Yes, but you still have a trial for burglary."  
  
"Ah, that's a minor problem." She smiled flirting with him. "Aren't you happy to know I'm innocent?"  
  
"Yes, of course yes..." he fixed his eyes on her blue eyes. "Really, it makes me feel so happy."  
  
Helena smiled.  
  
"Come with me," Reese asked "finish this. You have a trial..."  
  
"I know it, I know it." She rested her back on his car putting her hands inside her pockets. "But I need to finish some business first."  
  
"Business? You? Nothing good I guess."  
  
"Oh man, you have a really bad image of me."  
  
"It's not that." He moved his hand over his head.  
  
"Give me time," Helena requested. "Just let me help a friend, trap the guy that created all this mess and that involved me in this problem."  
  
He laughed. "Wait a second, wait a second, are you going to act like a crime fighter? That's not you!"  
  
"I know it, I'm a burglar, but I'm a person too," she growled, "and I owe this to the person that believed in me and that helped me to prove my innocence. And I need to catch the son of bitch that killed those kids and that put false evidence in my apartment."  
  
"But we got the killers..."  
  
"Yes, but I'm talking about the top guy, the mastermind behind all this."  
  
"Who is it?" He rested his hand next to her head and leaned over her.  
  
She smiled and cocked her head. "Don't be impatient, just give me time." She could smell his lotion, it smelled so good.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Helena raised her eyes and locked her pupils on his. "Because I'm asking you." She traced his jaw lightly. "Please." He had something, something that attracted her.  
  
"And... why... must I..." He felt something was wrong, really wrong. It was his duty trap her in that moment, she was a fugitive, a criminal. But those eyes, her scent...  
  
Helena moved forward and kissed him, she brushed her lips on his. Both closed their eyes; he felt trapped in the moment as she did.  
  
"What are you doing?" he mumbled.  
  
"Proving...," she bit his lower lip, "...a theory..."  
  
"...Theory?" He kissed her back. "What theory?"  
  
"...about destiny..." She opened her mouth, he was sweet and tender.  
  
"What destiny?" he moved lightly back.  
  
"Shut up, Reese..." She pulled him to her and he wrapped his arms around her. 


	11. You understand

The elevator door opened. Helena entered the Clock Tower singing in a soft voice. All was silent and dark. It was her advantage that she could see at night. She walked in the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for some milk.  
  
The light turned on. "Where were you?" Barbara asked. She wore her dressing gown, her face couldn't hide her annoyance.  
  
"Oh..." Helena turned. "You are awake. It's late." She took out the bottle of milk.  
  
"Yes, very late, where were you?"  
  
"Just around." Helena took a Corn Flakes box and a bowl.  
  
"I asked you not to leave the Clock Tower." Barbara moved next to the table. "You are one of the most wanted people in the country. If the police..."  
  
"I know." Helena poured some milk in the bowl ad opened the Corn Flakes box. "But I needed to see someone. I was with Reese."  
  
"Reese? Are you crazy?"  
  
"I think so, I kissed him."  
  
"What?"  
  
"And he kissed me back." She smirked. "He kisses very well."  
  
"Helena, you are insane! He could have caught you!"  
  
"Nah... I like him." She put a spoon with milk and flakes in her mouth. "And he likes me."  
  
Barbara rubbed her eyes with her hand. Helena was more crazy than she ever had thought, as crazy and impulsive as her mother.  
  
"I think," the brunette said, "history will repeat again, you know, the 'hero' and the burglar, mom and dad..."  
  
The red head glared at her. "Could you avoid your 'conquest' until all this is finished?"  
  
"Barbara, don't be pissed. I just asked him for some time, time to try to catch our bad guy."  
  
"And the kiss was part of the deal?" The older woman crossed her arms on the table.  
  
The brunette winked. "Well, that was a bonus." She put another spoon with milk and flakes in her mouth.  
  
Barbara couldn't avoid laughing. "You are terrible."  
  
"Barbara do you really believe the kid's story?"  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"So, why are you helping us?"  
  
Helena cleaned her mouth with a napkin. "Because I can prove I'm innocent of the murders and I want trap the son of a bitch that killed those kids."  
  
"And after that?" Barbara asked her. "Are you going to back to jail or are you going to escape?"  
  
"I promised you I would come back." Helena looked her bowl and played with her spoon. "I'll come back."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I promised you."  
  
Silence fell over the place. Barbara took a deep breath.  
  
"Have you thought about changing your life after all this is over?" she finally asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"You can do it, you can live a normal life."  
  
"I couldn't." Helena sighed.  
  
"Your mother could."  
  
"That was different."  
  
"You could have a normal life, a normal relationship."  
  
Helena didn't like talking about her life, her problems; it was her weak point. She found a way to try to get out of that with a question: "You don't believe the kid's story, why are you helping her? If you believe it, you wouldn't be worried about my future."  
  
"I want to know the truth," Barbara answered. "I can't say she is lying, she knows so much about our lives, about our past. And it's hard to believe the entire story. Whether she is lying or not, we will know only when we catch Destiny and we get the Materioptikon." She looked the young woman "I would have liked to be your mentor, I would have liked to take care of you."  
  
Helena raised her head and looked at her stunned.  
  
"I would have liked that, yes," Barbara affirmed. "I would have liked be with you after your mother's death. I would have liked for you to come here to live with me."  
  
Helena lowered her head. "But it wasn't, I never went to live with you, I was taken far from here. We can't change the past. The only thing that we can do is accept our present. I love being a catburglar..." She raised her eyes. "...It is something that I have in my blood. I love it, it's like... like how much you love being a crimefighter. You loved it so much, it doesn't matter that the Joker... that he... he shot you; you found a way to keep going and to keep working at this job that you love, maybe you love it more than your own life, as I do." She stood up and put the dishes in the sink. "It's late, time to go to sleep."  
  
"We go for the blue diamond this weekend."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Barbara felt a great sadness inside her heart. Helena started to walk out of the kitchen. She stood up behind the red head and hesitated a few seconds before she touched her shoulder. "But I would have liked to live with you, too. I really would have liked that." She suddenly leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Thanks." She walked toward her room.  
  
Barbara watched her go. "I love you too."  
  
Helena couldn't avoid a big smile.  
  
------------------------  
  
New Gotham. Next day. 6 P.M.  
  
Barbara was out with Dinah, where had they gone? That wasn't the important thing, the important thing was that they weren't there. Alfred was the only one inside; but he was cleaning the room where Barbara stored her Batgirl suit. She exited the Clock Tower silently. Barbara would be pissed if she knew that she was out, it was dangerous for her. But on the other hand, Commisioner Gordon had called her by phone, he had told her that it was urgent, and that he needed to speak with her alone and that she shouldn't tell Barbara about their meeting.  
  
She jumped between the buildings until she arrived to the Commissioner's apartment; she moved down, toward the window, it was open. The lights were off, she walked in slowly. She looked around, the place seemed to be empty.  
  
"Good night." He turned on the lights walking out the kitchen. "Would you like a drink?"  
  
"Scotch?" she said, putting her hands inside her pockets.  
  
He went to the small bar and opened a bottle. "She helped you to escape."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'm intrigued, why is she helping you?" He took out a glass.  
  
"That's a question that is in my head too." Helena looked at some pictures on the wall "Nice place."  
  
"Thanks. It took me years to buy this collection... Are you blackmailing her?" .  
  
"Of course not." She frowned. "Never, she said she wants to help prove that I'm innocent."  
  
"I can't believe that she is giving you a hand," Commisioner Gordon said giving her the glass. "Sit down, please."  
  
"She believes in me Commisioner... Look, I have never denied who am I. But I don't have anything to do with those murders. Let me prove that I'm inoccent."  
  
Gordon sat on a couch in front of her, crossing his legs. "I think that you are going to run away as soon as you have the opportunity. You are using her and taking advantage of the love that she felt for your mother and you."  
  
"No, I promised her not do it."  
  
"Your word has some value?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, she knows that." Helena knew that it wouldn't be a pleasant conversation, but she needed to keep calm. "Why did you call me? I need o get back before she notices I'm out."  
  
"Go back to the prison."  
  
She looked at him and shook her head. "Now I can't, I need to prove I'm innocent."  
  
"Have you read the newspapers?" He moved his glass nervously. The idea that the police would discover Barbara and send her to jail for aiding a criminal scared him "All the people talk about her as an insane person for helping you. Her career is in danger, her prestige, all her years of work. And now it is just worse now that you have escaped. If the police discover that she helped you, she is lost. Do you want that?"  
  
"Of course not. But Commissioner, we discovered Dr. Destiny is behind all this, he is dangerous, he killed those people; and he wants to control the city. We can prove it and send him to jail."  
  
"Helena, come on, that doesn't matter to you. You are trying to take advantage of all her technology and the love that she feels for you. You want the blue diamond."  
  
"No, no, that's not true." She said shaking her head. "I just want to prove that I didn't kill those people. We are going to use it to trap him."  
  
He stood up and walked around the room. "Helena, I'm just trying to protect her. She worries me, since the accident everything has been hard. I won't see her hurt."  
  
"I don't want to hurt her. I just want to solve this... to show the world the truth, what really happened."  
  
"Are you going to come back to jail after all this is over, after you prove you are "innocent" of the murders?" Gordon stood up behind her. He touched a lamp on a table behind her and brushed the dust off with his fingers.  
  
"I promised her I'd come back." Helena said in a low voice.  
  
"Yes, you promised her, but are you going to do it.?"  
  
"Yes." She played with the mouth of the glass with her fingers. "I'll do it."  
  
"Helena, I'm worried for her, do you understand me?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"So, you'll understand..." Gordon took the lamp with his hand.  
  
Helena felt danger, her eyes changed, but before she could turn, she felt a hard hit on her back. She growled, falling heavily against the table in front of her, breaking it.  
  
"You understand," Gordon said throwing the lamp to a side.  
  
She fought against the darkness that was covering her mind. A loud buzz echoed in her head. She tried to stand but her knees couldn't support her own weight. She fell again to the floor.  
  
"You could destroy her life, I can't allow you do that," he said pulling out his handcuffs.  
  
Helena half opened her eyes and watched him leaning toward her. The last thing she felt was him turning her over and pulling her hands behind her back before she passed out. 


	12. Conflict

Thanks for your comment Erin, you are so nice...

--------------------------

"Where the hell did she go?" Barbara yelled, feeling the anger burning inside her. "Dammit! I told her clearly not to leave the Clock Tower!"  
  
"Sorry..." Dinah mumbled. "I should have stayed here to keep an eye on her."  
  
"It's not your fault, she sometimes is so difficult."  
  
"Well, I would say often..."  
  
"I'll look for her with the necklace signal." The Delphi alert turned on and Barbara wheeled to it, she looked at the main screen..  
  
"What happened?" the teen asked.  
  
"Shit..."  
  
"You never say bad words," Dinah commented.  
  
"We are living another present," the redhead said looking at the screen. "It's a police report... Dammit, she is inside my father's apartment... What is she doing in my father's apartment? He called the police, she tried to attacked him."  
  
"She what? Why? She never would do that..."  
  
"I don't know what to think now." Barbara took the phone and called her father; but no one answered the phone. "Alfred!" she shouted. "Alfred, where are you?"  
  
"Here," said the old man, looking at them from the second floor. "I just heard you yelling and I thought something was wrong. You never yell."  
  
Barbara blushed. "Sorry, it's Helena. Do you know what she is doing in my father's apartment?"  
  
"The last time that I saw her was when I told her that your father called her by phone."  
  
Barbara shook her head. "My father?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What did he say to her?"  
  
"Discretion is rule number one of a butler. I don't listen to conversations... But she said something like she would meet him at his home," Alfred added.  
  
"You don't listen to conversations?" Barbara smirked.  
  
"Of course; but sometimes it's hard not to hear when a person talks in a loud voice." He winked.  
  
"If they take her to Arkham again will be impossible to break her out." Barbara dialed again. This time the phone was answered. "Father? It's Barbara."  
  
::Yes?::  
  
"You know why I'm calling you. What happened to Helena?" she asked anxiously.  
  
::She is dangerous, Barbara, I told you. She would hurt you::  
  
"Dad, did she really try to attack you? How were you able to stop her if she is more skillfull and stronger than you?"  
  
::Barbara, you are not in possession of all your senses. I'm just trying to protect you.::  
  
"No dad, you are wrong," Barbara said. "What did you do to her?"  
  
::She is okay, Barbara, don't worry, but for our own safety the best place for her is the jail.::  
  
"Father, please, don't do this, please."  
  
::Sorry, it's for your own good. The police are here, I'll talk with you later.::  
  
"Dad, please, listen to me!" The line was dead. She bit her lip trying to contain her anger. "Dammit, dammit!" Shit the desk with her fist, some discs fell to the floor. Dinah and Alfred looked at her in silence. After a few seconds she took a deep breath and looked at them both. "If they take her back to Arkham, they are going to reinforce the security. It will be almost impossible to get her out." She ran her hands through her hair.  
  
Dinah took the Hummer keys. "Barbara, you can hack inside the police computers, change the traffic signs, create chaos."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Delay them in the traffic, give me time to try to help Helena. We can follow her with the necklace."  
  
"I'm sure they are going to take 7th Avenue." Barbara began to type at her computer.  
  
"A good point is New Gotham bridge." Alfred said.  
  
"True," Barbara said. "Go get her, Dinah."  
  
-----------------------

Helena opened her eyes, her head hurt like hell. She was in the back seat of a police car with her hands cuffed behind her back. She shook her head and noticed she was inside a police patrol car. The car was moving, she sat up slowly.  
  
"Move and I'll blow your head off."  
  
A policeman that was in the front seat looked at her and smiled. "Hey, the dove is awake. You tried to steal from Commisioner Gordon's apartment, big mistake."  
  
"What?" She tried to understand what was happening.  
  
"He surprised you inside."  
  
::Hel, can you hear me?:: The brunette jumped in her seat when she heard Barbara's voice. She wasn't yet used to that communication system.  
  
"Yea..."  
  
::I know where are you, listen to me. Dinah is going for you. We are going to create a mess over New Gotham bridge. Be ready to move.::  
  
Helena smiled at the policeman. "Okay."  
  
After a few minutes the traffic began to be extremely slow. How does she do these things? Helena thought, while she looked around trying to find a trace of Dinah.  
  
"I see them," Dinah said, crouched over the bridge. "There are four patrol cars, Oracle."  
  
Barbara pressed some buttons and all the traffic signs were suddenly red and the cars stopped. ::It's done, Dinah:: "Helena, hold on, this will be a bit rough, as soon as you can, run to your front." Dinah moved her hands and pushed the cars that were in front and at the back of the police car against the one that Helena was in.  
  
After the hard impact, Helena moved quickly and kicked the door. It opened and she rolled outside. The officer moved down and Helena kicked his hand, the gun shot and the bullet broke the front window. Helena kicked the police man again, knocking him out.  
  
"Stop!" the driver shouted pointing a gun at her. She jumped outside and over the roof of a car falling on the other side. A policeman from the police car that was in front, took off his gun too. "Don't move!" Suddenly his weapon flew out of his hand. Helena knew it had been Dinah, she jumped down and began to run between the cars but it was difficult to move with her hands behind her back.  
  
She turned and saw some policemen running behind her. "I'm beginning to feel like a rabbit being hunted," she said.  
  
::Hold on:: Dinah said through the mic.  
  
Helena looked to her right and jumped over the bridge.  
  
::What are you doing?:: Dinah shouted.  
  
"There are no policemen down there." Helena felt herself falling into the darkness until she felt the impact against the cold water. "Shit, shit, shit..." she growled. "This is cold. " she moved her feet to keep her face out out of the water.  
  
::Why did you jump? Are you crazy?:: Dinah yelled.  
  
"Later blondie ... Do you have a boat?" She pulled her hands, trying to break the chains but was in a very uncomfortable position.  
  
::Why did you jump?:: Oracle asked.  
  
"Can we discuss that later?" The strong current was moving Helena far from the bridge, and swimming was becoming difficult with her hands tied behind her back. She spat water. "I have problems... coff... Where is blondie?"  
  
Helena felt someone pulling her arm "Here... and don't call me blondie," the teen said helping her to raise her head.  
  
"Coff.. okay..okay.."  
  
"Shit, Helena, this is cold." Dinah protested passing her arm around her neck to keep her out of the water. "Why did you jump?"  
  
"Those guys were shooting me and I didn't see you." Helena coughed.  
  
"That's the idea, that no one saw me."  
  
"Could we discuss this later? I'm freezing here."  
  
::Swim to the opposite side of the river, I'll keep the traffic blocked.:: Oracle ordered. ::Dinah, go to Wayne Manor. My dad will come back for her, take her to Wayne Manor, Alfred is on his way.::  
  
"And you?"  
  
::Later, my father will send people to follow me. I'm sure that he knows that Helena escaped again. Don't worry, I'll see you later.::  
  
"I'm not sure if I want go there," Helena protested.  
  
::This is not a democratic resolution:: Oracle sighed ::Just do as I ask..::  
  
------------------------

Gordon was drinking a scotch looking through the window, the lights in his apartment were off. He felt frustration, anger. He couldn't understand how his daughter could be supporting a criminal. And now, in some way, Helena had escaped again, he was sure his daughter in some way had helped her. He threw his glass against the wall. Down below, the cold city seemed to not sleep. He closed the window, but kept looking outside.  
  
"Why father?" he heard the soft voice of Barbara behind him.  
  
"Because this is a mistake, a big mistake, your worst mistake," he said looking the sky.  
  
"You promised me..."  
  
"Don't you understand?" He turned and shouted at her. "She is going to destroy your life as she destroyed her life!"  
  
"Dad! She didn't kill those people!"  
  
"Dammit, Barbara! If the police find out that you helped her to escape..."  
  
"We discussed that!" She interrupted him. "You gave me your word that you would give us ten days!"  
  
He moved toward her and put his hands over the arms of the wheelchair. "Barbara, I know she is the daughter of a good friend of yours, but you know this is wrong. You were looking for a way to trap her and when we finally did it, you helped her to escape, why?"  
  
"I explained that to you; a man is behind all of this, we want trap him. Dad, she is a great girl, circumstances forced her to be a burglar to survive. She didn't know another way of living. I'm sure I can do change her way of life, I just need time."  
  
"I know you helped her to escape again." Gordon glared at her.  
  
"Dad, I'm here because you didn't answer my phone calls," Barbara said.  
  
"I'm keeping an eye on you. You are not in possession of all your senses." He turned and walked to his room. "Good night."  
  
"Dad, please," Barbara mumbled.  
  
He closed his door. Barbara remained there, unmoving, without knowing what to do. She felt trapped between two walls, on one side was her father and her love for him and, and on the other side, she had the trust in Helena and she needed know, to discover the truth behind Dinah's words. She rubbed her nose and after a few seconds, she wheeled out of the apartment


	13. Blue diamond

Helena sneezed, Dinah followed her. Both were covered with blankets near the fireplace in the manor. Alfred had the girls change into the dry clothes that Barbara had given him. He put some hot chocolate on a table. They took it immediately.  
  
"I thought cats hate water," Alfred commented.  
  
"I must remember that from now on." The brunette sneezed.  
  
"That was a bad idea," Alfred said looking at the girls.  
  
"Tell her, it was her 'great idea'," Dinah said.  
  
"Well, it worked." Helena rubbed her nose.  
  
::And now, Helena?:: Barbara said. ::Now you trust Dinah?::  
  
"I proved you that you were wrong.." the blond girl added.  
  
"Okay, I was wrong." Helena sighed. "Trust is a gift. You were there for me when it matttered, for both of us. And as for the rest of it... it's an act of faith, believing in someone. I believe in you. Whatever your name is."  
  
"Lance, Dinah Lance."  
  
"Kid, I saw your file, your name is Dinah Redmond... Stop with the lies."  
  
"Redmond. My name was Dinah Redmond. My mother left me with foster parents when I was six. And they taught me to be ashamed of what I was. Never to tell anyone. To hide it...and when I couldn't hide it anymore, they were gonna take me somewhere. Somewhere to make my powers stop. So I ran away. My mother's name is Carolyn Lance."  
  
"Okay, okay." Helena sighed, she was too tired to discuss that again. The only thing that mattered was that she had saved her life.  
  
Dinah shook her head. "Incredible how destiny always keeps some things unchanging," she observed.  
  
"What?" Helena frowned.  
  
"Not matter what he has done," Dinah explained "somethings never change: you and Reese, you and Barbara, your stubborness and impulsiveness..."  
  
Helena glared to her. "Why do you insist upon continuing that stupid story?"  
  
"Is not stupid, it's true! If we recover that stone, we can recover our lives!"  
  
"Your life, blondie-- my life is great this way."  
  
::Okay, girls. We need focus on our work:: They heard Oracle's voice.  
  
"What happened with your dad?" Dinah asked.  
  
::Nothing good, I have some problems with him now, I'd prefer not to talk about this now.:::  
  
"I'm sorry, Barbara." Helena sighed "I didn't want..."  
  
::It's not your fault. Don't worry, but we need to move now::  
  
"Now?"  
  
"I'm sure dad will send cops to follow all my movements. He knows we are behind the blue diamond; we need to go for it today or he will improve the security system."  
  
Dinah sneezed.  
  
"I'm not sure if I like this crime fighter life." Helena drank the hot chocolate and licked her lips.  
  
::Well, sometimes being a hero is not a glamorous job.::  
  
"Okay." Dinah asked "What's next?"  
  
::Blue diamond. Now.::

------------------------------

Helena played, thossing the blue diamond up and down. She and Dinah were lying on a big mattress at Wayne Manor, waiting for Barbara's call. The police had been keeping an eye on Barbara, as they searched for Helena.  
  
Dinah was staring at the ceiling; Helena was making her feel nervous with her constant movements. "Would you stop that please?" she asked.  
  
"Have you ever had 40 million dollars in your hands?"  
  
"Not interested."  
  
"It's cool."  
  
The door opened and Barbara wheeled in. Both looked at her in surprise.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Dinah asked. "We thought police were keeping an eye on you."  
  
"I always have something up my sleeve," Barbara responded, throwing a bag to her and wheeling toward a table. "Where is the diamond?"  
  
"Here," Helena said still playing with it.  
  
"Give it to me." Barbara opened a small box that she had on her lap.  
  
Helena raised her head and tossed it to her. Barbara caught it with her hand and put it in a small space in the box; Dinah stood up and walked to her.  
  
"Barbara, what is this?" Dinah lifted up a costume with a black mask.  
  
"You need to go with Helena when she gives the diamond to Dr. Destiny, I don't want him to recognize you." Barbara typed at her laptop.  
  
"I can handle this alone." Helena braced herself standing up behind her.  
  
Barbara turned and glaredat her. "I said she is going to go with you."  
  
Helena sighed, giving in. "Okay, what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm just trying to find out... how this gem will help him," Barbara explained. "You need to go for him and take the Materioptikon, it's a big red ruby."  
  
"What are we going to do once we get it?" Helena asked putting her hand on the back of Barbara's chair.  
  
"Bring it to me so I will know the truth.... I've got it. The physical composition of the carbon is compatible with that of the ruby, the molecular structure seems to be capable of reflecting light in a..." Barbara stopped talking when she saw Helena's stunned face watching her. "You didn't understand a word."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Okay, the two gems have a similarity. Maybe Dr. Destiny wants it to improve the power of Materioptikon."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"How do I look?" Dinah asked standing up in front of them with her black mask that covered her enitre face and eyes.  
  
"Like a Power Ranger." Helena said.  
  
"Ha, ha, funny."  
  
Barbara put the blue diamond inside a bag and gave it to Helena. "I'll go back to the Clock Tower to prepare everything, you need to visit him tomorrow."  
  
The brunette took the stone and played with it between her fingers. "And after all this, I'm going to back to prison." She looked at the red head.  
  
"Yes, but I'm not going to leave you alone." Barbara said, taking her hand. "You know that your activities are illegal, that it's not right to be a burglar. I think that it's time to think seriously about changing. Unless you want to run away all your life and hide."  
  
"Barbara..."  
  
"I know, this is fun, but you can't spend your life hiding. You can do many wonderful things Helena, like your mother, once she understood that being a burglar isn't really a life."  
  
"And what do you want me to do?" Helena turned aggressive. "I don't know how to do anything else! Just this! I love it!"  
  
"You can do other things."  
  
"Like what? Be a crime fighter? Expose my life to nutcase criminals? No, thanks, I don't want to end up like you."  
  
Barbara pressed her lips trying to control her anger. She glared at her and clenched her hands against the arms of the chair. "I'm not finished. My life didn't end just because I became disabled. I'm a person, and I'm a woman."  
  
"... I didn't want to..." Helena moved her hand toward her.  
  
"Don't touch me!" Barbara pushed her hand back violently.  
  
"Barbara..."  
  
The redhead turned and wheeled outside the room. Helena stood up, unmoving, knowing she had hurt her. She turned to Dinah, looking for an answer as to how to fix her mistake. Dinah removed the mask that covered her face and sighed. "It's part of you, to screw everything up and hurt her."  
  
"Oh shit!" Helena raised her hands "I didn't want to..."  
  
"You never want to, but you have a gift to always do it."  
  
"And what am I supposed to do now, genius?"  
  
"Apologize, don't worry, she always forgives you."  
  
"I don't have time for apologies."  
  
"Stubborn idiot..." Dinah sighed.  
  
"Dinah!" Helena's eyes turned feral.  
  
"Look how much she has put herself at risk to help you and then you tell me you don't have time to apologize!."  
  
The brunette growled and turned her back on the teen.  
  
"I know you never apologize to anyone; but Barbara deserves your respect, it's the minimum gratitude that you can show her." Dinah patted her shoulder and walked outside the room.  
  
Helena kicked the table in the middle of the room and began to pace around the place. After a few seconds, she moved towards the lower floor.

---------------------

Barbara climbed inside the hummer. When she tried to close the door a hand held it. Helena was standing there.  
  
"I'm sorry," the brunette said.  
  
Barbara looked her with a cold glaze. "Don't worry." She tried to close the door again but Helena stopped her. "I said, I'm sorry," she repeated softly.  
  
Barbara sighed, she shook her head.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Helena, I..."  
  
"I'm not good at doing this." The girl mumbled avoiding her look She moved nervously. "And... and you know that if I'm telling you, it's because I'm really sorry."  
  
Barbara smiled lightly. "Yes, true..." she sighed and fixed her eyes on her. Helena never said "I'm sorry" to anyone, no matter if she had committed a big mistake; but she was hurt. She patted her cheek "Go to sleep, it's late. Tomorrow we have a hard day. You need to go meet Dr. Destiny."  
  
Helena moved back and closed the door. She watched Barbara start the car and drive outside Wayne Manor. She put her hands inside her pockets and walked back to the house. 


	14. Cold

Thanks for your comments and post friends!!

-----------------------------

The next night, Helena and Dinah were behind a hill where they could see Dr. Destiny's hideout. Helena's back was against a tree.  
  
"I told you I'm sorry, Barbara" she said into the mic.  
  
::Keep focused on the mission.::  
  
"But I..."  
  
::Mission is now.:: Barbara said in firm voice. ::I don't want any of you distracted. He is a very dangerous man.::  
  
Helena looked at Dinah.  
  
"She is pissed... what did you expected?" the blonde girl said adjusting the black mask over her face.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm stupid, happy now?"  
  
"You need to coordinate your mind with your mouth, usually you open it before you let your brain work."  
  
"Smartass." The brunette faced her.  
  
"I'm not the one in trouble." Dinah raised her brow.  
  
Barbara interrupted them. ::Stop that now. We have work to do, discussions later.::  
  
They began walking to the hide out. Two men appeared and pointed at them with rifles.  
  
"The welcome committee is here," Helena said.  
  
"Yea, very friendly," Dinah added.  
  
"Destiny is waiting for me. I'm Helena."  
  
"Yea, we know, move it," One of them said and pushed her with his rifle.  
  
Helena turned angry. "Don't do that again, I'm not in a good mood today."  
  
"Yes, sure..." the man said and pushed her again with his rifle.

-----------------------------------------  
  
Destiny was studying the plans of the Treasure building on a table. The heavy door opened and a man flew through and landed the floor. It was a semi dark room, Helena walked inside, followed by Dinah.  
  
"You do not like my men," he said turning to see her.  
  
"He insisted on pushing me with his gun." She threw the rifle to the floor.  
  
"I'm glad you're back. I was waiting for you."  
  
Three men walked in running and pointed the girls. Destiny moved his hand.  
  
"It's okay," he said. "Take this man out and execute the security chief, he is a moron."  
  
They carried the unconscious man outside and closed the door.  
  
"I'm glad you're back." Destiny began to walk toward her "I would have sent my men to break your legs if you hadn't come here."  
  
"These guys? I doubt it." Helena said. "I gave my word. Thanks for your help, now the police are convinced that I'm just a burglar."  
  
"We had a deal. Who is the girl?" Dr. Destiny asked, looking at Dinah.  
  
"A friend, she helped me to do the job. The deal is done. May I work safely?"  
  
Dinah looked around, he had the Materioptikon on the table next to him, not on his neck.  
  
"Sure, if you gave me the diamond."  
  
"That was nice." Helena snapped her fingers. Dinah gave him a small box. "There you go, forty million dollars."  
  
"It's beautiful." He picked it up to examine it.  
  
"I know." Helena looked at her nails.  
  
"Yes, yes, is the original."  
  
"Are you going to sell it?"  
  
"I'll do something better with it, and that is not your problem."  
  
Helena looked the Materioptikon, he was far from it. Dinah looked at her, she began to move slowly to take it. Suddenly, the door opened, two guards walked in. Both girls looked. Suddenly a third man walked in, pushing Commissioner Gordon inside.  
  
"Damn." Helena mumbled at Dinah.  
  
"We trapped him outside."  
  
"Who is he?" Dr. Destiny asked.  
  
"A stupid cop." Helena said, walking toward him "He has been following me."  
  
"I was right." Gordon said "You were playing with my daughter."  
  
::Dad??:: Oracle recognized her father's voice.  
  
"Shut up!" Helena took him by the lapel and pushed him roughly against the wall. "I'm tired of looking at your old face." She leaned over him and whispered, "Please don't move and just shut up. I want you back home alive."  
  
"He has been following you?" Destiny asked.  
  
"Yes," Helena said turning to see him. "Maybe you can give me the pleasure of taking care of him."  
  
::Helena, be careful. He can hurt him.:: Oracle said through the mic.  
  
"Don't worry.." the brunette mumbled.  
  
Destiny laughed. Dinah moved toward the table where the Materioptikon was. "I think it would be more fun to kill him now." Destiny said clapping his hands. One of the men pointed at Gordon with his rifle.  
  
Dinah, using her mind power, pushed the two men with the rifles. Helena kicked Destiny, making him step back.  
  
Dinah took the Materioptikon. "I've got it!" A shot crashed next to her and she jumped down. Destiny tried to hit Helena, but she ducked to avoid his blows. One of Destiny's henchmen pointed a rifle at her and Gordon hit him in his nose, breaking it and making him fall.  
  
Destiny landed a hard blow on Helena's jaw, she fell backwards, stunned. Dinah jumped on his back and he threw her against the floor roughly. The Materioptikon rolled on the floor. Grodon knocked two guards out and kicked a third one that walked in with an axe.  
  
Destiny was walking toward the Materioptikon, when he felt a hard kick on his back.  
  
"Hey, I'm still here. "Helena smiled.  
  
Destiny turned angry. "Stupid girl... will be a pleasure finish with you... Huntress..."  
  
"Huntress?" she looked at the blond girl.

-------------------

Barbara heard the name and froze. Dinah was telling the truth and it shocked her. Her life was a lie and that scared her. She turned to see Alfred, he looked at her without knowing what to think.  
  
---------------------

Dr. Destiny took advantage of Huntress' confusion and grabbed her wrist roughly. "Seems your destiny is to die in my hands."  
  
"I think you are reading the future badly. "She hit him in his face. "Your destiny is the jail." She kicked him again. They began to exchange punches. Hard punches.  
  
Commissioner Gordon knocked out two more guys and Dinah helped him with three men that arrived suddenly. One of the guys took an axe and tried to hit Dinah with it, she ducked and punched him in his stomach, he fell backwards.  
  
Destiny kicked Helena in her gut. She bent down. He tried to hit her again but she jumped back to avoid it. He was tall and really strong.  
  
"So Huntress?" The man with the skull face walked toward her. "Are you ready to die?"  
  
"Oh, we are starting this again? Don't be boring." She grinned and jumped in the air and kicked him on his back. She landed behind him. He turned his head and threw her a blow that she avoided but not the second one. She flew and hit hard against the wall.  
  
"Dammit, Oracle." She growled "You never told me that he was so strong."  
  
::Be careful, focus on your fight.::  
  
Dinah walked toward Gordon and took his arm. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes..." He watched the fight between Helena and Destiny. "Who is he?"  
  
"The bad guy that we have been looking for and you didn't believe us. He killed those people and he is the criminal that has created a crime kingdom in New Gotham." Dinah explained pushing him down, a henchman appeared and tried to hit him.  
  
Destiny took Helena by her lapel and hit her back roughly against the floor, she grunted.  
  
::Helena, are you okay?::  
  
"I'm trying." She answered kicking him on his jaw. She stood up and began to hit him harder using both hands making him step back; she attacked him, not giving him a chance to hit her. She took her impulse and nailed him with both hands on his jaw, he crashed against his desk and was unmoving.  
  
Helena moved her hands. "Wow, his skull is a rock. It's done, Barbara." she leaned down and picked up the Materioptikon that was on the floor. "Nice rock."  
  
::How is my faher?:: Oracle asked.  
  
"He is okay, don't worry." Dinah said.  
  
"This is your bad guy." Helena said, walking toward Gordon.  
  
"He... he's scary, I never would have believed..." he said looking at him.  
  
"Barbara never lies." Dinah smiled. "You must believe in her."  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry."  
  
"Hey, we are a cool team." Helena put her hands in her pockets.  
  
"Sure." Gordon smiled. "You must be thinking about changing your work."  
  
"Oh, don't start that..."  
  
Destiny moved slowly; they didn't notice that he was conscious and took the axe. He sat and with a quick movement, he threw it at the Commisioner. Helena could sense the danger, her eyes turned feral, she turned and saw him. "Shit," she growled and jumped over Gordon, throwing him against the floor.  
  
Dinah lifted her hand and pushed him back against the wall, roughly. She used her telekinesis and threw a heavy bookcase on him, knocking him down. She walked toward him to check that this time he was out cold.  
  
She felt a hard hit on her back that blurred her mind, everything started moving in slow motion. She felt her body relaxed and closed her eyes.  
  
Gordon felt Helena unmoving, her head was resting on his shoulder; he shook her gently "I'm okay, thanks Helena." The brunette moaned softly, he felt something was wrong and moved her to his side. He saw with horror that the axe was buried in her back. "Oh God!"  
  
Dinah turned to see them and looked at what had happened. "Helena!" she screamed and ran toward her.  
  
::Whats going on, Dinah?:: Oracle asked.  
  
Gordon moved the brunette gently and realized she was having trouble breathing, she had her eyes half opened. The axe had damaged one of her lungs. "Easy Helena, everything will be okay."  
  
"She's hurt, she's hurt." Dinah said to Oracle, kneeling next to her friend and examining the wound. "Destiny hit her with an axe in her back!"  
  
::Dammit! How is she?:: Oracle knew it couldn't be good.  
  
"Bad..."  
  
"Easy, brave girl." Gordon held Helena in his arms, her breathing was labored. He looked at Dinah. "We need to remove the axe... do it, Dinah. Do it with just one movement."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Do it."  
  
The teen took the axe and removed it from Helena's back with a fast movement. The brunette growled and buried her face in Gordon's shoulder. Gordon held her tight. "It's okay, Helena, you will be okay. Dinah give me something to cover the wound," he said moving her to a side and examining her back.  
  
::Dinah, bring Helena here immediately.:: Oracle ordered.  
  
"Barbara said we should take her to the Clock Tower," Dinah explained to Gordon.  
  
He examined the wound a few seconds and looked Dinah shaking his head.  
  
"No! She will be okay!!" Dinah said feeling a great anguish in her heart. She tried to cover the wound with a cloth.  
  
The brunette gasped trying to catch air in her lungs; she blinked and tried to focus on Dinah, it was hard trying to breathe and to think straight. She coughed blood, Dinah felt desperation and tears in her eyes. "Hold on, Helena, hold on."  
  
::Dinah, I called an ambulance:: Oracle said.  
  
"Thanks, Helena..." Gordon said smiling to her. "Barbara was right, you are a great girl."  
  
"Just hold on." Dinah felt he tears falling from her eyes, she pressed the brunette's hand between her own.  
  
::Helena, help is on your way:: the brunette could heard Oracle's voice breaking ::Hold on, please, just a few.::  
  
She knew something was wrong, really wrong; she moved her hand inside her pocket and took the Materioptikon. She raised it and showed it to Dinah. "Your rock..." she said smiling. The teen took the fingers of Helena that held the Materioptikon and squeezed them. "I hope you... you can find your world, you damn nut..."  
  
"Our world," Dinah said, she couldn't avoid crying and hugged her. "Please don't go, don't go!!" she held her strongly. "Don't go." She turned to look at Gordon. "She is bleeding so much."  
  
"I'm cold." Helena noticed she couldn't see and felt as if she was falling into a dark hole. Breath was hard. She felt dumb and tired.  
  
"Don't worry, Hel, all will be okay..." Dinah noticed her eyes didn't have the brightness that usually she could see in them and hugged her strongly.  
  
"...okay..." the brunette mumbled opening her mouth trying to take air to her lungs.  
  
Dinah felt the brunettes' body go limp under her, she moved back. She had her eyes half-opened. "Hel?..." she moved her but she didn't react. "Hel, please."  
  
"She is gone..." Gordon said with sadness.  
  
"No, she can't be..." she shook her gently. "Hel.."  
  
::Dinah, Dinah, what is happening?:: Oracle asked worried.  
  
Gordon closed Helena's eyes and looked at Dinah . "I'm sorry... she is gone."  
  
"No... she can't..."  
  
::Dinah, what happened?::  
  
"We need to take her to a hospital!" the blonde said, tears in eyes.  
  
"Dinah, she is gone.." Gordon touched her shoulder. "She is gone..."  
  
Dinah cried, she still could feel her warm body and brushed her hair. "Helena... please..." but she knew it was useless.  
  
She was gone.  
  
::Dinah... please, tell me she is not...::  
  
----------------

At the Clock Tower Barbara covered her eyes with her hands. She had never felt a pain like this. It was worse than feeling a knife ripping her flesh, worse than a bullet breaking her heart. Alfred touched her shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said.  
  
She couldn't respond, she cried, she couldn't remember the last time that she had cried; she had closed her soul to any feelings, but this time she couldn't stop the sadness flowing out her. She felt a heavy weight on her shoulders; in some way she had lost a part of her family, a part of her life, again.  
  
Cold.  
  
She just could feel cold.


	15. Back home

Hey, thanks for your post. Im glad you like this fic :dance: waves to all.  
  
Thanks to Darkphoenix for helping me with this editing part. Hugs to night!!  
  
:D and thanks Yank, Shadow Walker, and master Shawn!!!!  
  
-----------------------  
  
Dinah kept holding Helena, rocking her back and forth sobbing. This couldn't be happening. She felt her heart break. She brushed Helena's hair and moved her head slowly to the floor. Gordon took her shoulders. The girl locked her eyes on Dr. Destiny. She stood up and walked toward him.  
  
"Dinah?" Gordon asked.  
  
She felt her mind blur. She used her mind power to move the heavy library that was over Destiny, who was unconscious on the floor.  
  
"Now you son of a bitch," she clenched her teeth, "If this doesn't work, I promise you that I will kill you, no matter what the damn speech about how 'we don't kill' says." She pressed the Materioptikon with her hand, closing her eyes. She wished- wished with all her heart, with all her soul. She could do it. She could bring her life back. The shadows covered her.  
  
-------------------------  
  
Dinah appeared inside an elegant office and looked around stunned. Where was she? She shook her head; traveling that way was like being inside a wash machine. She rubbed her eyes. That wasn't what she was expecting.  
  
"Lady? May I help you?"  
  
Dinah turned and saw a man in an elegant suit standing up at the doorframe. She didn't know what to say, and looked around again confused. "Where am... I?"  
  
"My office... I'm a lawyer. May I help you?"  
  
Dinah didn't understand what was happening. "I..." She heard the door behind her open. She turned, Dr. Destiny was there.  
  
What are you doing here?" he asked angrily.  
  
"It's the same question I wanna ask you" she growled.  
  
The lawyer face paled when he saw Destiny. "Who... are you?" he mumbled.  
  
"As soon as I kill the girl, I'll kill you!" Destiny stormed inside the office "You are not going to prevent him from finding Huntress!"  
  
"He?" Dinah ducked to avoid a blow and rolled to the other side of the room. She hit her back against a wall and looked up at the university degree on it stood: "Lawyer".  
  
Dinah looked at the elegant man feeling her heart jump. "You are Selina Kyle's Lawyer..."  
  
"Yes... who is he? Who are you?" the lawyer stepped back scared.  
  
Dinah understood that she had arrived before Destiny killed the lawyer and sent some one to take Helena far away from the city; before he changed the past. She faced the tall villain "It's time to go back."  
  
"Stupid kid, I don't know how you got here but I'll kill you." Destiny laughed.  
  
"I'm sorry, you're wrong." She raised her hand and showed him the Materioptikon.  
  
"What?" he looked at his neck, the ruby wasn't there.  
  
Dinah pushed him against the wall using her mind power. "She is dead because of you!"  
  
He tried to stand up and she raised her hand. He felt someone had grab him by his throat.  
  
"Now..." Dinah growled "You are going to back to jail and I'm going home..." she threw him against the wall with her mind power. She ran toward him and took his hand. Both of them disappeared. The lawyer was stunned. Suddenly the place was empty again. He scratched his head. He didn't understand what had happened.  
  
::We have a breaking story: A fatal stabbing in Downtown New Gotham.:: the news on television grabbed his attention ::Reports are coming in that the victim is the infamous Selena Kyle, the mysterious and beautiful businesswoman, once accused of leading a double life as the jewel thief called CATWOMAN.:: he shook his head when he heard that name and walked toward the television.

-----------------------

Dinah screamed and woke up abruptly. She sat and looked around scared, sweat was covering her face. She was in her room. She wiped her face with her hands. She felt a bandage on her head. She sat on the bed and moved the sheets to a side and looked around again. She stood up and walked to the door, when it opened suddenly. Barbara appeared in her wheelchair.  
  
"Dinah, are you okay?" she asked. "I heard your scream."  
  
Dinah looked at her; she had her old Mickey Mouse shirt, and her eyes fixed on it.  
  
"Dinah easy." Barbara noticed that she was breathing hard, and looked confused and scared.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
Barbara took her hand. "Clock Tower, Dinah calm down... what happened?"  
  
"Dr. Destiny?"  
  
"He's in jail. Don't worry..." Barbara squeezed her hand "You have been unconscious for almost 24 hours."  
  
"Me?" Dinah brushed her hair "Unconscious?" She suddenly remembered. "Where is Helena?"  
  
"Dinah... please, calm down. Go to bed"  
  
"Where is Helena?" Dinah shouted.  
  
"Dinah!"  
  
"Is she dead?"  
  
Barbara looked at her shocked.  
  
"Is she dead Barbara?"  
  
"No, no, of course not! Please calm down!"  
  
"Where is she? Please tell me!" Barbara could read fear in her eyes.  
  
"She is sleeping like a log in the living room. We were awake keeping an eye on you since yesterday night. She fell asleep a few minutes ago. I went to the kitchen for coffee when I heard your scream. What happened to you?"  
  
Dinah ran outside the room.  
  
"Dinah!" Barbara followed her worried.  
  
Dinah ran through the corridors, and stood up at the entrance of the living room. The television was on. Several dirty glasses and half a peanut butter sandwich was on the table in the living room. Helena was in deep sleep on the couch with her legs over the side. Dinah felt greatly relived inside and tears on her eyes.  
  
Helena stirred over the couch and purring like a big black cat, rolled to her side. The blond girl jumped over her. "Helena!"  
  
The brunette abruptly woke up when she felt the weight of the teen over her. "Uh? Hey!" She didn't know what was happening.  
  
"Kid!" she said recognizing her partner. "You're awake!" Dinah hugged her thigh sobbing. Helena hesitated a few seconds before hugging her back. She looked at Barbara disconcertedly when the red head wheeled inside. Barbara shrugged her shoulders and moved her head indicating to Helena she was as confused as her.  
  
"Dinah its okay, its okay..." Helena brushed her hair "What happened to you? Why are you crying?"  
  
"You are alive." she laughed. "You are alive."  
  
"Yes, I am..."  
  
Barbara wheeled toward her and brushed her hair. "Dinah please, you're scaring me.."  
  
Dinah felt incredibly happy. She turned and jumped over Barbara; the red head looked at Helena concerned.  
  
"Maybe it's her period." Helena said raising her eyebrow.  
  
"Dinah," Barbara moved her back "Please, calm down. What happened to you?"  
  
"I'm glad to see you two; the last months have been terrible..." Dinah said.  
  
"Last months?" Helena frowned.  
  
"Dinah," Barbara explained "you were fighting with Helena against Dr. Destiny. You jumped over him and both of you disappeared. Until your signal appeared on the computer system; you were lost for more than three minutes. Just three minutes, what happened?"  
  
"Three minutes?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Yes...and then suddenly you appeared again..."  
  
"You fell out of nowhere." Helena said "You hit the ground hard and was knocked out."  
  
"And him?" The teen asked.  
  
"He's now inside Arkham." Barbara took her hand "We were waiting for you to wake up and explain what happened. You had the Materioptikon. Now it's in a safe place. So what happened Dinah?"  
  
Dinah remembered she had wished to come back to where all this had started and that he would be secure in jail. She smiled and laughed.  
  
"Dammit," Helena stood up nervously, "Something is happening to her."  
  
"No, no I'm okay..." the blonde said.  
  
"Dinah, one of your sleeves had blood on it." Barbara explained, "Helena thought you were hurt. We checked you out, but you didn't have any wounds."  
  
"And your clothes were different." Helena stood up behind the red head  
  
Dinah looked at her friends in silence for a few seconds. "It's a long story."  
  
"Well, I'm awake, let's hear it." Helena sat on the couch again.  
  
"I was out for two months, not three minutes." Dinah also sat on the couch.  
  
"Now I'm starting to feel worried." The brunette said to Barbara.  
  
"Helena, let her talk."  
  
"Well," Dinah started, "I jumped over him..." 

-----------------------

The next day at the Clocktower. Helena yawned and walked in, looking for Barbara. Delphi was on, so Barbara had been working there for sure, but she wasn't there. Dinah wasn't around either. She scratched her cheek and walked toward the balcony. Her feelings were right, her mentor was there.  
  
"Hey Barbara." She greeted her. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Getting some fresh air." Barbara smiled rubbing her hands. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Yes, like a big bear." She stood up resting one of her feet over the balcony. "How's the kid?"  
  
"She is okay. Right now she's sleeping... she is exhausted."  
  
Helena cocked her head. "She still thinks that all that happened?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The part where I tried to show her how to smoke was funny. What do you think really happened to her?"  
  
"Helena... she is not lying."  
  
"Come on, don't tell me you believe it." Helena put her hands in her pockets and sat down looking at her "She just hit the floor too hard. I'm glad she has a big head."  
  
Barbara smiled. "That was an evil comment."  
  
"She has a big head."  
  
"What if Dinah is telling the truth and she really has rescued our present?" Barbara challenged her.  
  
"You can't be serious." Helena glared at her.  
  
"What if...?"  
  
"It can't be, is just that."  
  
"It was your blood."  
  
Helena frowned. "What?"  
  
"The blood on her sleeve was yours. I examined it this morning. She is not lying, in some way you were dead in that present." Barbara rested her back on her chair.  
  
"You scared me..." Helena didn't know what to say. "You are joking."  
  
"No. Want to see the test?"  
  
"You know I don't understand a word of that graphics and numbers."  
  
"I know your blood. It was yours." Barbara moved her hand in her pcoket and took out a small red crystal. "And I found this in her jacket."  
  
Helena fixed her eyes on the small gem. She looked the red head concerned.  
  
"Materioptikon." Barbara said playing with it between her fingers. "It's the small piece that was broken from the original one. I analyzed it. She didn't dream this."  
  
"Oh damn..."  
  
"So? What do you think now?"  
  
"This is crazy."  
  
"But it happened."  
  
Helena took the gem between her fingers and looked at it in silence. Both kept silent for several seconds before Helena asked, "Do you think that really I would prefer to be a burglar than... the thing that I am now?."  
  
"Dinah said you loved it... Its hard to say; the circumstances were different."  
  
"But the feeling would be the same."  
  
"I prefer this present." Barbara smiled tat her "You are here, free, alive and stubborn as always."  
  
"Good point. This is... odd, freaky, it scares me."  
  
"Me too, if she had failed... you wouldn't be here now."  
  
Helena felt a shiver. "I dunno what to think."  
  
"Me neither, but more than ever I feel glad that she is here with us." Barbara smiled.  
  
"Right, maybe I shouldn't bother her so much.."  
  
"Good idea, you love to annoy her."  
  
"Oh, I don't annoy her. I play with her.."  
  
"Sure, sure, just keep in mind next time, that the "kid" saved her old sister."  
  
"Don't' tell her that or I'll have to hear that speech all month... Hey, I'm not old."  
  
"True, you are a big child. Lets go to dinner." Barbara wheeled inside the Clock Tower.  
  
Helena followed her. "So.. I was a cool burglar?"  
  
"Helena..."  
  
"Just asking." 

-------------------------------

Dinah sat on the coach in the living room of the Clock Tower. All the lights were off. It had been a nice dinner. She looked distractedly at the big Clock Tower window lost in her thoughts.  
  
"Hey, how are you?" the lights suddenly turned on.  
  
Dinah hadn't heard the noise of the electric chair being so lost in her thoughts. She turned her head and smiled. "Hey."  
  
"Do you feel okay?" she looked at her watch. It was 4 o'clock in the morning.  
  
"Yes, yes... I was just thinking."  
  
"About what may I ask?" Barbara wheeled next to her.  
  
"An idea that came to mind a few days ago." She rested her head on the coach.  
  
"And that is bothering you. I noticed you have been distracted the last few days."  
  
"Yes." Dinah fixed her eyes on her.  
  
"What is?"  
  
"Do you think that with the Materioptikon I could change the past?"  
  
"I don't understand." Barbara frowned.  
  
"I could avoid the Joker shooting you... and Helena's mother getting killed."  
  
The red head looked at her in silence.  
  
"Can you imagine that? You would still be walking, being Batgirl and Helena would live happily with her mother."  
  
Barbara was shocked by the idea.  
  
"Yeah." Dinah said with sadness "It's the idea that I've been thinking about. Why I didn't I do it? Would I have the right to change the rules of destiny? I have been seeing so many things that keep going even though some one changed the past. Like the care that you have for Helena, and the love that you feel for each other; and the attraction of Reese and Helena. Even Helena's fascination with Poptarts was alive!!"  
  
Barbara observed her in silence.  
  
"That makes me think that I didn't have the right to change the past, even if it would mean your happiness; we can't play with destiny."  
  
"And you are right..." Barbara took her hand.  
  
"But hurts because maybe I would make you two happy." Tears began to fall from Dinah's eyes. It's a big temptation you know? See you walking again, seeing Helena happy with her mother." she said frustrated. "How many lives have we saved? Ten? Forty? Maybe a hundred? All those lives are reason enough to stop Helena's mother from being murdered and to give you off the opportunity to walk again?? Isn't that fair?"  
  
"Dinah." Barbara took her cheeks between her hands "Listen to me... if Helena's mom wasn't murdered and Joker didn't shoot me, you would never have found us. We never would have been a team. Instead you might have been lost in some place or dead. You never could know what could have happened, but you can't play with destiny. You time traveled trying to fix the disorder that Destiny created. You did your job! You didn't make a mistake"  
  
Dinah hugged her sobbing. "I'm sorry Barbara, I'm sorry. I would have liked to help you."  
  
The red head hugged her back "Don't worry, you did it by bringing our present back. I'm very proud of you."  
  
"You are?"  
  
"Dinah, you did an excellent job, we were lost in the caprice of a lunatic and you brought us back. Thanks so much." She rubbed her back.  
  
"But I..."  
  
"No," Barbara interrupted "you did your job. You did the right thing. You are a great hero."  
  
Dinah moved back and looked her strangely. "Am I?"  
  
"Yes." Barbara smiled wiping her tears with her fingers "You are. You are."  
  
THE END 


End file.
